Melbourne United have won another classic over the Sydney Kings, overcoming a lacklustre second half to come away from the FIBA break with a three-point win.
After a tight first quarter, the Kings went into the break leading by a solitary point after a Tyler Robertson three-quarter-court stunner right on the buzzer. Much like their previous match-up, this game had all the makings of being a classic from early on.
But as Melbourne United so often do, they put the foot down in the second quarter and produced some scintillating basketball that any opposition would struggle to match. They were able to find the basket at will, registering a whopping 38 points for the term to the Kings' 21.
Chris Goulding picked up from where he left off, hitting four first-half three pointers to go into the main break with 20 to his name. Centre Rob Loe was also providing Sydney with some headaches, knocking down big shots and looking potent in the paint.
Thanks to a dominant quarter, Dean Vickerman’s men strolled into the changerooms up by a commanding 16 points at half time. If the Kings were any change of mounting a remarkable comeback, it needed to start from the first whistle of the second half.
A defensive focus was clearly central for Brian Goorjian and his boys, as the Kings started to force the ladder leaders into tougher shots and began to gain points off the turnover.
NBL Next Star Alex Toohey was central in helping his side eat into the deficit, with nine of his 16 points coming in the third quarter. He put the ball on the floor and began to get aggressive in the paint, with teammates Cam Oliver and Shaun Bruce following his lead.
It was all one-way traffic in the third term, a complete turnaround to that of the previous quarter, as the Kings reduced the margin back to just four points heading into the last quarter. Suddenly we had a game on our hands with the type of battle we expected leading into the contest.
The last quarter was back and forth, with two consecutive three pointers from Sydney veteran Bruce tying the scores at 83 apiece with just over six minutes to play. Despite a more subdued second half, United star Goulding hit a massive three to give his side a little bit of breathing room with just over three minutes left. Goulding then left the game with two minutes remaining, succumbing to an untimely calf injury.
But Sydney was not about to lay down just yet, as successful free throw attempts by Jaylen Adams and Cam Oliver kept the visitors within striking distance. Then Adams, who had been down on his usual output, produced a big three to tie the game once again at 95-95 with 1:31 left on the clock.
On the next possession Matthew Dellavedova drove to the lane, successfully drawing two men before finding Jack White in the left corner. White put the ball up and knocked down a massive shot, like he did late the last time the sides met.
But Kings star Adams went down the other end quickly draining another three and it was a deadlock again. We were in for some sort of finish here, with the possibility of overtime looming large.
The Kings had the chance to take the lead for the first time since the opening jump ball, when Ian Clark missed a tough three-point attempt. However, Sydney guard Adams made the fatal mistake of failing to get the ball over half court in eight seconds, causing a costly turnover.
United then had the chance to regain the lead and put themselves in the box seat as Shea Ili forced up a shot, only to be fouled and sent to the free throw line with 14 seconds left. He hit the first and missed the second, giving United a one-point lead and providing the Kings with an opportunity to snatch victory at the last hour.
They got the ball to the hot hand of Bruce, who hit the back of the rim, missing his game-winning attempt, before United grabbed the rebound and took a team timeout. They got the inbound pass to Clark out of the timeout before he was fouled and sent to the free throw line.
He hit both free throws, and while the Kings were able to get one last shot off to try and force overtime, ultimately Izayah Le’Afa’s shot from the right corner missed as United held on in a thriller.
For the Kings, Cam Oliver (21 points, six rebounds) and Alex Toohey (16 points, four assists) were pivotal in giving their team a chance to win it late. While 36-year-old Chris Goulding (28 points) and Shea Ili (18 points, three steals) were dominant once again for the rampaging United.
Both sides next meet the New Zealand Breakers, with Melbourne United travelling to New Zealand ahead of tomorrow night’s game. The Kings will also travel to New Zealand ahead of their game this Saturday night.
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