NBL27 Match Recap: Melbourne United vs Perth Wildcats. 23 October 2026.

Melbourne United have fallen just short in hostile territory as the away side against the Perth Wildcats. In what is the first of a double-header and one of the two United Multicultural games this round, Melbourne showed their versatility and resilience on offence, despite walking away with the loss.

The imports opened up the scoring for United in the first. To start, Cole Anthony dropped in a gorgeous underhanded layup high off the glass. 

Josh Oduro then followed his compatriot’s trajectory down the floor for a wide open layup from the same spot for two. 

In the early stages, the ball was flying up and down the court, and after a Travers three-point make, the scores sat at 11-8 in favour of United, only two and a half minutes into the game. 

Responding to a five point run from the Wildcats, Travers, who showed comfort early in his Perth homecoming, got his sixth and seventh points of the quarter with a pull-up midrange off glass.

To take back the lead just after the midway point of the period, Anthony’s rim pressure got the better of his defender, as he put his head down and used his physicality to get an open layup for two points. 

In their first minutes on the court, Joe Ingles and Kyle Bowen connected off an inbounds play for a wide open layup for Bowen, using his size advantage to carve some space under the ring. 

Ingles then dished out another dime, this time to Fabian Krslovic, off a pick and roll for another look at the ring for the veteran big-man. The bucket was the fifth time Ingles has hit Krslovic with an assist in NBL27. 

After back-to-back possessions setting up others for buckets, Ingles took matters into his own hands, and cashed in two top-of-the-key threes to end the quarter; the scores sitting at 26-25 in favour of United.

To get United flowing in the second, Shea Ili took over the contest through the first three minutes. 

Melbourne’s most beloved guard first weaved through the Wildcat’s defence to get open for a fadeaway basket inside the paint. Following the play, he knocked down an open three, and on the defensive end, picked Perth’s pocket which led to a tough stepback three from his backcourt partner Anthony. 

At the midway point of the quarter, United’s bigs made their presence felt, as Waardenburg got to the ring for his first make and Oduro muscled the Wildcats’ defence for an easy deuce. 

With four minutes left in the half, Travers, as he’s done all year, did some serious damage in the open court, flying in for a dunk, taking a three point lead and forcing the home team to take a time out. 

After weathering a run from the home side, the bigs fought back once again. Oduro knocked down a fadeaway jumper in the middle of the key and Waardenburg slammed home an open look off a perfect pass from Ingles. 

As the half came to a close, it was clear what was working for United. Offensively, the side displayed their ability to attack from all angles, as eight of the boys in blue got on the board for Melbourne’s 48 first half points. However, they were not able to gain much ground, as some defensive woes meant the Wildcats had 46 points of their own.

The start to the second half mirrored the first, as Anthony’s aggression on offence paid off with a pull-up midrange that caught nothing but net. 

As United tried to widen the gap, Malitch Machar got involved from his favourite spot on the floor, cashing in a catch and shoot three pointer from the corner for his first points, and to give Melbourne their largest lead of the night, 57-50. 

The third quarter was Anthony’s time to take over. In a period that he’s making a habit of making his, the import had 8 points just four minutes into the period, using that league best ability to get to the line for free points.

After Perth threw back a couple of haymakers, Travers reannounced himself with two strong drives and finishes at the basket to ease the pressure on his team. The second, bringing United’s lead back to four. 

Some tough shot making from Perth, and a haul of free throws for Melbourne, left the scores tied at 72 a piece with two minutes remaining in the third.

As the clock ticked down in the final minute, Travers went on a solo five-point run to snatch back the lead, and give United a two point advantage going into the fourth. The stretch took the forward’s tally to 18 for the game.

As crunch time started, Melbourne were stagnant, and lost their lead, down four a minute in. 

However, Travers’ superb play took no breaks, as he blew past the defence in a blur for a right-hand layup to open up his team’s scoring. 

Fighting a deficit, Waardenburg made a three, which silenced RAC and gave himself and his teammates some confidence from deep. 

Despite this, the Wildcats refused to go away, knocking down a myriad of tough jumpshots, forcing United to continue to fight from behind. 

Travers revelled in the moment. The freight train came down the lane for a pair of finishes that silenced his hometown, as he made it known he was the force to be reckoned with in the building.

At the midway point of the fourth, United were down 91-88, and in another display of his dominant physicality, Oduro pushed through contact for an and-1 slam to tie the game.

Back-to-back steals into Oduro scores then gave United a four point advantage with four minutes left. 

With the game in the balance, after a pair of misses on offence, Waardenburg swatted away a fast break attempt from Perth, killing what could have been a momentum shifting bucket. 

With two minutes left, a blast to the rim from Ili brought United’s lead back to three, and a steal on the next possession from Ingles flowed straight into a corner three for the wily veteran.

A three point make from the Wildcats meant Melbourne needed to score, and in the midst of a disjointed play with 45 seconds left, Travers was the hero again, putting back an Anthony miss for his NBL career high 26th point of the game. 

Despite this, late game troubles and tough shot making from the Wildcats meant United fell just short of a win on the road, losing 103-102.

United next take the floor in their annual Multicultural Game at home inside John Cain Arena this Sunday the 25th of October at 5:00pm.

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