WWAG Match Recap: NBL23 Round 12, Game 1 v Cairns Taipans

Written by Melbourne United Media 

Melbourne United have come away with their third straight win in front of a capacity crowd in the return of the Open Air Game at John Cain Arena.

In front of a sold-out crowd, United brought the energy early.

Rayjon Tucker scored the first five points of the game, including a three that would have blown the roof off JCA, if it hadn't already been opened of course.

While the Taipans hit back quickly, Chris Goulding silenced everyone who questioned how an Open Air Game would affect outside shooting.

Melbourne’s skipper drained three threes on back-to-back-to-back possessions, helping United push out their lead to double digits.

When CG slowed down, Marcus Lee stepped up, adding immediate energy off the bench.

The big-man skied for dunks, pulled down boards and swatted shots, finishing with eight points, four rebounds and a block in just six minutes of play.

With United threatening to push the lead out even further, Cairns showcased some resilience, scoring five points in the final minute of the term to bring the score to 26-21 after one period.

Not content with his start to the game, Tucker continued to produce in the second quarter.

The American high-flyer got it done from all over the court, hitting threes, sinking free-throws and finishing at the hoop to tally 18 first-half points.

While Tucker caught fire, helping United push their lead out to as many as 15 points, the ball appeared to stick a bit for Melbourne, allowing the Taipans to slowly work their way back into the contest.

After such a strong first 20 minutes of action, a Tahjere McCall half-court shot was a deflating way for United to bring up half-time, however the home side still held onto a 47-39 lead.

After a Mason layup got the period started, Tucker picked up right where he left off, scoring his 20th point of the game.

Points were hard to come by across the first five minutes of the quarter, with each team only managing four points.

Brad Newley broke that deadlock with one of his signature layups before swatting Tahjere McCall in the paint to bring the crowd to their feet.

Speaking of blocked shots, Marcus Lee came up with the biggest rejections of the year thus far, meeting Keanu Pinder at the summit to send away his dunk attempt.

This, as well as seven third-quarter points from Shea Ili buoyed United, helping the home side take an eight-point advantage into the final 10 minutes of action.

It was a quarter full of runs for both sides, as Melbourne fought to hold onto their lead.

Tuck continued his aggressive performance, lifting his total up to a game-high 27 points, the last of which came on a massive dunk, while CG43 fought off tight defence to sink his fourth three of the game.

Despite extending their lead to as many as 13 points, the Taipans played their way back into the game, going on a run of their own to close the gap to as little as three points.

Needing some tight D to secure the win, United got the stop they needed, holding on for a 84-81 in front of the 10,000 plus fans in attendance.

United will now head on the road for seven consecutive games away from home, starting with a historic clash with the Sydney Kings on Christmas night.

Fans can tune in from 6:30 on Channel 10 and on ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel.