NBL27 Match Recap - Round 9, Game 1 v Adelaide 36ers

Melbourne United’s comeback attempt on the road has fallen just short, going down by eight points to Adelaide on Thursday evening.

United pair of star imports, Cole Anthony and Josh Oduro, got the visitors going, scoring on the opening two possessions to give the side a 4-2 lead.

The 36ers however were able to take the lead quickly following this, and while Melbourne were able to keep the contest close for the start of the period through scores from Luke Travers and Oduro, the home side caught fire, orchestrating a 16-1 run to end the term.

Trailing 27-10 at the first break, the deficit continued to grow in the second, as Adelaide stayed hot from all over the floor.

Trailing by as many as 34 points, it took time for Melbourne to find some rhythm.

Chris Goulding and Sam Waardenburg each connected from deep, Shea Ili provided a spark defensively, while Anthony enjoyed some success in the paint, bringing his total up to 11 points heading into half time.

This allowed United to go on a 15-4 run across the end of the quarter and cut the lead to 35-59

Slowly but surely, Melbourne cut into the margin.

It was a well-rounded effort, with Anthony, Travers, Ili, Waardenburg and Malith Machar all helping eat away at the 36ers advantage.

Ultimately, a late three from Goulding and floater from Fabijan Krslovic set the target at 18 points with one quarter remaining and the score showing 62-80.

Looking to complete the comeback of the season, Melbourne got off to a great start to the period, as Goulding, Travers and Waardenburg all hit their looks from beyond the arc, while Oduro mustered his way inside to punctuate a 15-5 run.

Great work at both ends kept the momentum going, closing the gap to just four points with three minutes remaining.

Unfortunately, that is as close as Melbourne would come to securing the win, as Adelaide were able to execute better down the stretch to take home a 93-101 win.

Despite the loss, United remain in third on the competition ladder heading into a huge Throwdown 35 matchup on Saturday evening against the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Limited tickets remain so get in fast to secure your seat!

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