NBL27 Match Recap - Round 9, Game 2 v South East Melbourne Phoenix

Melbourne United have taken down the South East Melbourne Phoenix in Throwdown 35, beating their cross-town rivals by seven points in a 102-95 victory inside John Cain Arena on Saturday evening.

From the very first possession, Cole Anthony looked poised to have a massive evening.

Draining a triple on United’s opening play, the star guard was aggressive from the jump, putting himself in strong positions to get buckets.

Whether it was from deep, at the rim, or in the mid-range, Anthony shredded the Phoenix defence, tallying 15 first-quarter points.

Assisting the import was a collection of contributors, headlined by Luke Travers, who scored seven points of his own on a three-ball, a post fader, and a dunk, while Sam Waardenburg, Malith Machar and Chris Goulding all enjoyed success from behind the arc.

Five quick points to close the period from the Phoenix cut into the margin, however Melbourne remained in front 30-22 after 10 minutes of action.

To start the second, Machar drained his second triple before Waardenburg went on his own scoring run, adding 10 of United’s next 12 points.

Josh Oduro worked his way onto the scoresheet, finishing a floater and two free-throws, however it was Anthony that took over the period across its final stretch.

The dynamic playmaker added 12 more points, bringing his total up to 27 points, the highest total of any player in a first half this season.

This, combined with great defensive energy from the entire United lineup, helped the home side take a 64-39 into the major break.

Looking to get back into the contest, South East Melbourne came out of half time with a renewed sense of urgency, immediately putting together an 8-0 run to gain momentum.

The duo of Oduro and Anthony answered this by scoring United’s next 11 points before Goulding splashed his second triple of the evening to push the lead back beyond 20 points.

Needing to match the Phoenix’s energy, Joe Ingles stepped up in the closing few possessions of the term, adding five points with his jumper to help Melbourne build a 87-68 advantage with 10 minutes remaining.

With the game up for grabs, both teams fought hard to secure the win.

Anthony continued his relentless attack on the rim, bringing his total up to 39 points, the most ever by a player in a Throwdown matchup.

Leading by 15 points with only a couple of minutes remaining, South East Melbourne made their late charge, going on a 10-0 run to put the game up for grabs.

Ultimately, an enormous Waardenburg block and two Ingles free throws iced the contest and gave United a 102-95 victory in Throwdown 35, their fourth consecutive rivalry game win.

Melbourne United will next face off against the New Zealand Breakers at home in Indigenous Round on Saturday 21 November inside John Cain Arena from 7:30pm.

For the next 24 hours, fans can secure 30% off tickets to the contest. Click the link here to take advantage of this amazing deal.