Rayjon Tucker has set John Cain Arena alight with the biggest first half tally of the season to inspire United to a 92-76 win over South East Melbourne. Catch up with all the round 11 NBL action.
Melbourne United have upset the Phoenix in a cross-town ‘Throwdown’ on Thursday night.
Catch up with all the Round 11 NBL action here.
– Ronny Lerner
A spectacular first half from star import Rayjon Tucker has inspired Melbourne United to an upset 92-76 victory over cross-town rivals South East Melbourne in the fourth and final ‘Throwdown’ of the season on Thursday night.
After Alan Williams scored the Phoenix’s first six points to help catapult them to an early 8-2 lead, Tucker set John Cain Arena alight.
The American recorded 25 first-half points, the biggest tally of any NBL player this season, including a perfect 3-3 from three-point land, to turn the tide dramatically and put United up 42-25 midway through the second quarter.
Tucker finished with an NBL career-high, and a ‘Throwdown’ record, 33 points on 11-15 shooting (4-5 from three) as well as 7-8 from the free-throw line.
The 25-year-old was unstoppable as he attacked the rim with athleticism and gay abandon, but was also deadly from long range.
After slipping 17 points behind in the first half, South East drained the next nine points, including six from Mitch Creek, to get back within eight points late in the second term.
However, United reasserted themselves in the third quarter, with another Tucker triple extending their lead back out to 16 points (66-50).
The Phoenix wouldn’t lay down as Creek, Gary Browne and Williams pulled them back within eight points again with 4:26 remaining, but United would not repeat their second-half capitulation against Perth on Monday and held on for an impressive win.
South East missed a golden opportunity to re-enter the top three as United snapped their three-game winning streak to split their season series 2-2.
But at 7-11, Dean Vickerman’s men still have a lot of work to do if they want to feature in the play-in tournament.
For most of the game, the Phoenix‘s offence struggled badly under the heat of Melbourne’s desperate hustle, pressure and manic defence, and they finished with a horrible 34 per cent from the field (27-78), compared to United’s superb 52 per cent (36-69).
United were also fantastic from downtown, nailing 11-24 (45 per cent) as South East put up a paltry 4-20 (20). United captain Chris Goulding also chipped in with 16 points, including four threes.
Creek was the pick of the South East contributors with 22 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and a block, while Williams registered another double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
TERRIFIC TUCKER
Tucker fittingly put an exclamation mark on the first half, putting down the final bucket of the second term with a spectacular alley-oop dunk over Creek that was set-up by Xavier Rathan-Mayes. Tucker was so excited, that he celebrated with a fist pump while he was still clinging to the rim.
GOULDING FROM VERY DEEP
Goulding has developed a reputation as one of the deadliest assassins from beyond the perimeter in NBL history, and he showed why early in the second quarter when he hit an audacious 35-footer from near the logo to put united up 33-17.
BROEKHOFF OFF THE BOIL
Phoenix star Ryan Broekhoff had an uncharacteristically off night, finishing with just three points and four field-goal attempts from 28 minutes.
– Matthew McInerney
Keanu Pinder strengthened his MVP case but the night belonged to Bul Kuol as Cairns claimed a sixth straight win in the NBL’s Sunshine Stoush with an 85-76 win against the Bullets.
While the Taipans struggled to hit the target in the opening minutes of the first term and trailed by as much as eight, they soon played their way back into the lead – and never looked back.
Pinder, who seems to thrive in tough match-ups against touch centres, did so again as he came up against Boomers star Aron Baynes, on his way to an eighth double-double of the season.
The Nyigina man produced another typically strong performance in the Taipans’ Indigenous Round clash, stuffing the stat sheet with 12 points, 15 rebounds, two steals and a block.
While he worked in the paint, Bul Kuol’s affinity for big nights against the Bullets continued as he hit a game-high 23 points, which included four threes.
Kuol was immense, and landed big shots despite walking the tightrope with three fouls by the main break.
“We came out a bit low but I think we picked up the energy and created a run for us,” he said at halftime.
“My teammates are doing a good job finding me in transition.”
Tahjere McCall had another big night with 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while DJ Hogg had 15 points.
The Bullets have endured a tough period, with Greg Vanderjagt taking on the interim coaching reins from Sam Mackinnon to become the club’s third coach in a month.
While the Bullets welcomed new import Andrew White II, who only stepped off the plane 48 hours ago and finished with nine points. They were also without Tyler Johnson, who was a late omission due to a knee injury.
Mareeba product Baynes, in his first game in Cairns since before he left for the NBA, started strongly, scoring eight-straight points as Brisbane built an early lead. He finished with 17 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Nathan Sobey finished with 13 points, while Gorjok Gak had 10.
WOUNDED WAARDENBURG
There was considerable concern for Cairns big Sam Waardenburg after he went down early in the third quarter.
As he drove to the bucket for a lay-up, Brisbane’s DJ Mitchell flew across to put on some pressure, but as he jumped his hip collected Waardenburg flush on his face.
He hit the deck hard and play was stopped for several minutes as he received treatment, but managed to walk from the floor under his own power.
He did not return due to concussion, and will be monitored ahead of the Taipans’ clash with the JackJumpers on Saturday.
BUL’S BUNNIES
There’s just something about the Bullets that brings the best out of Bul Kuol.
He was hitting at 70 per cent from the field against the Bullets heading into the contest, a run which includes the eight long-range bombs he dropped at Brisbane in his rookie season.
As Cairns struggled to hit the mark to start, Kuol didn’t miss, dropping three from range to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
SOBEY’S TOUGH NIGHT
It’s not often Nathan Sobey has a night like this, but even when the target isn’t quite locked the Boomers guard is a threat.
Sobey has taken on plenty to help lead the under-fire Bullets through this tough period, but he just couldn’t find his shot on Wednesday night.
He missed his first six field goals, finally scoring a point in the second term, had six misses from beyond the arc before finally landing a blow from range, but still managed to finish with 13 points.
Both teams will be in action again on Saturday, with the Taipans travelling to Tasmania to meet the JackJumpers and the Bullets off to Adelaide for a date with the 36ers.
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