NBL24 Match Recap - Round 5, Game 2 v Illawarra Hawks

Looking to make it six wins in 16 days, United’s shooters started the game strong, with Chris Goulding and Tanner Krebs combining for five three-pointers in the opening frame.

In the process, CG43 brought up his 800th long-range make in United colours.

While Melbourne’s marksmen were heating up from downtown, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr, Ariel Hukporti and Luke Travers went to work inside, getting to the hoop for tough buckets.

Despite this scoring effort, the Hawks couldn’t be cooled down on offence, capitalising on any United mistakes and cashing up from all over the court to take a 29-24 lead after 10 minutes.

Looking to build on their advantage, the Illawarra continued to pour on the points, primarily through import forward Gary Clark, who tallied 16 points before half-time.

Needing a spark, Goulding delivered, scoring 12 points in the term to bring his tally to 21, while United’s defence locked in.

This fueled the home side on a 13-0 run, pushing Melbourne back into the lead, which they would hold onto for the remainder of the period, taking a 52-51 advantage into the major break.

Coming back from a half-time which saw United celebrate the 30 year anniversary of the 1993 Melbourne Tigers championship, more scoring from CG43, including a triple from way downtown, kept MU in control for much of the third quarter.

Melbourne led by as many as six points thanks to Goulding, as well as some timely buckets from Krebs and Lual-Acuil Jr, before the Hawks hit back, tying the game up.

This push would not be enough to wrestle the lead back from MU, as Shea Ili sank a buzzer-beating jumper to put Melbourne up by two points with 10 minutes remaining.

With the game up for grabs, Luke Travers took it upon himself to propel United into a winning position.

After going down hard on his knee earlier in the contest, the athletic forward showcased his resilience scoring six quick points in the fourth quarter.

United’s kiwi pairing of Shea Ili and Flynn Cameron then stepped into the spotlight, with the former getting to the hoop possession after possession to extend Melbourne’s lead, while the latter clamped down on Illawarra’s guards.

While the Hawks kept coming, a Travers feed to JLA inside for a poster dunk seemed to deflate the visitors, with Melbourne running away with a 12 point victory.

The win further solidifies Melbourne’s spot atop the NBL ladder. United will next face the Perth Wildcats at John Cain Arena on 6 November.