WWAG NBL24 Match Recap - Playoffs Game 3 v Illawarra Hawks

With everything on the line in this do or die Game 3, Melbourne United came out with a fierce intensity in the opening few minutes of action.

In front of the raucous home crowd, United got to the rim time and time again to help open up a healthy 15-point lead.

Luke Travers starred in this stretch, scoring eight points and pulling down five rebounds.

When the NBA Draft pick went to the bench, Melbourne’s depth picked up the slack, with Ian Clark scoring five quick points and Ariel Hukporti throwing down a thunderous slam dunk.

Illawarra was able to claw their way back however, reducing the margin to six points at quarter-time after a late surge.

Wanting to push their advantage back out, Matthew Dellavedova flexed his muscles, getting to the cup for a pair of tough layups before Jo Lual-Acuil Jr worked his way inside for a bucket in the post.

Clark, Hukporti and Chris Goulding followed this up with important mid-range makes, helping to hold the Hawks at bay.

With work still to be done, Shea Ili got in on the scoring, sinking a pair of triples to help MU increase their lead to seven points at the major break.

Coming out of half time, Melbourne were able to ratchet up their defensive pressure once again, going on a 9-0 run on the back of more strong play from Luke Travers.

Travers tallied six quick points, which surrounded a Shea Ili layup after an emphatic Goulding swat.

As they had for much of the game, Illawarra were able to answer, cutting into the lead before three pointers from CG43 and Tanner Krebs wrestled back momentum in United’s favour.

In what was a slow term due to foul trouble on both sides, Dellavedova was able to bring the crowd to their feet in the final seconds of the period, beating the buzzer from the post to put Melbourne in front 76-65 heading into the fourth. 

With the game on the line, it was United’s Next Star Ariel Hukporti that showcased his elite skillset.

On offence, Dellavedova found the towering German for a throwdown, while on defence, he swatted shots on back-to-back possessions.

With Hukporti controlling the skies, it was Shea Ili who commanded the floor, pushing the pace and working his way to the free throw line whenever Melbourne needed a score.

The dynamic point guard finished with 22 points; the second highest scoring effort of his career, to go along with three rebounds.

This, along with some clutch shot making from the likes of Lual-Acuil Jr, Goulding and Dellavedova allowed United to hold off the visitors until the final buzzer, finishing as 100-94 victors and punching their ticket to a Grand Final series.

Keep up to date with all the details about United’s Grand Final series through our Finals Hub.