In front of a sell-out crowd, South East Melbourne (SEM) Phoenix hosted the first Throwdown of the NBL season in what was a highly contested battle against their Melbourne rivals.
Phoenix started the game positively, with sharpshooting forwards Matthew Hurt and Joe
Wieskamp scoring from range, which drove their team to a 28-21 quarter-time lead.
This blistering hot form faded away quickly, with Phoenix scoring only 12 points in the second quarter and giving away their lead, forcing them to play catch-up ball for the rest of the game.
United veterans Chris Goulding and in-form Matthew Dellavedova were clinical when it mattered, managing to find good open looks and uncontested buckets.
Dean Vickerman’s men ran away to a 12-point victory, 96-84 to secure United’s sixth successive Throwdown win.
SEM Phoenix coach Mike Kelly said post-match that it was a poor defensive performance from his side, noting inconsistencies as well as the need for better communication and team cohesion.
“We don't consistently do the things that we talk about on defence,” he said.
“We had some fight, and there were some good moments for us, but I think there was some moments in the second quarter and then sprinkled throughout the second half that really let us down.”
The tension between both sides was evident throughout the game, with Wieskamp getting under the skin of opponent Goulding, with Angus Glover and Marcus Lee engaging in a bit of push-and-shove a bit later just after half time.
Kelly was pleased with his players’ physicality but wanted better awareness and IQ from his leaders.
“I think the physicality was good and the mindset, but you need to win those moments,” he said.
“The smart ones are the guys who can play that the right way, they win those moments instead of getting called for an offensive foul … I want us to be tough and smart at the same time.”
United forward Jack White was the game changer for United and despite having a quiet three quarters, he dominated in the paint to score 13 of his 15 points in the last quarter.
With many players fading out of the game, Hurt was a standout for Phoenix finishing the game with 18 points and getting it done from everywhere on the floor, shooting 6-10 from two and 2-4 from beyond the arc.
Despite no registered wins and a very new list, Hurt remained positive and stood strong with his teammates in chasing greater improvement.
“We have about nine new faces, I think just standing together, especially off the court,” he said.
“On the court, we do a lot of stuff like team bonding. I think that helps us, especially with a lot of new guys, (we’ve got to) keep chipping away, keep trying to work every day and just keep trying to get better.”
Phoenix travel away for their next match against a strong New Zealand Breakers team.
Kelly was eager to see his side register its first win of the season and reward the fans for their ongoing support which was showcased in last night’s derby.
“The crowd and support were amazing,” he said.
“We just want to have some wins and show our fans what we're doing and how we're getting better.”
SEM Phoenix Stats
Matt Hurt 18 PTS / 7 REB / 2 BLKS
Derrick Walton Jr 17 PTS / 2 REB / 4 AST
Jordan Hunter 17PTS / 7 REB
Joe Wieskamp 13 PTS / 4 REB
Nathan Sobey 9 PTS / 4 AST
Owen Foxwell 5 PTS / 1 STL / 1 BLK
Tom Vodanovich 3 PTS / 2 REBS
Angus Glover 2 PTS / 1 REB / 1 AST
Malique Lewis 3 REBS / 1 STL
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