Superstar import Rayjon Tucker has led Melbourne United to an important victory over the Cairns Taipans. Catch up with all the Round 12 NBL action
Rayjon Tucker starred for Melbourne United against Cairns.
Earlier in the round, the JackJumpers registered a massive win at home over the Hawks.
Catch up with all the Round 12 NBL23 action.
– Dylan Bolch
It’s Tucker Time.
Melbourne United’s superstar import Rayjon Tucker caught fire against the Taipans, dropping a game-high 27 points to lead his side to an 84-81 victory.
Not only was he a massive threat offensively, but he was a key contributor across the court, recording eight rebounds whilst pouncing on a loose ball to slam home a dunk with less than 90 seconds to go, reinforcing United’s lead.
Tucker spearheaded United to victory in the club’s first Open Air match in two years, a big occasion for the club in what was labelled a “statement game” by gun guard Chris Goulding ahead of the contest.
United established a handy buffer within minutes, getting out to a ten-point lead courtesy of some Goulding magic as he knocked down three three-pointers in the space of a minute.
The pair of Isaac Humphries and Marcus Lee have already established themselves as one of the league’s best rim-protecting duos and were again a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end for United.
Humphries finished with five rebounds, three steals and two blocks whilst Lee had eight points, ten rebounds and three blocks.
They were able to limit the impact of Cairns big man Keanu Pinder as well, who has arguably been the best big man throughout the season.
Melbourne United’s system-based team defence as a whole was prominent, as they curbed Cairns’ chaotic potency on the offensive end.
The Taipans looked to threaten on a number of occasions, but United were able to hold them out and continued to hit tricky shots when the Taipans closed the deficit.
However, the Taipans, despite lacking their usual polish, found a way to stay in the contest and keep United on their toes until the final buzzer.
American Taipan Tahjere McCall provided one of the highlights of the match with a buzzer-beater despite heavy defensive coverage right on the stroke of half-time, reducing the margin to eight points.
He had the opportunity to tie the contest as well, narrowly missing the three-pointer to send the contest into overtime.
He was critical for the Taipans and almost put the side on his back, whilst DJ Hogg (20 points), Shannon Scott (12 points) and Pinder (16 points) also hit double digits in points.
Hogg’s composure under pressure was on show, as he hit some clutch shots in the final term, almost pinching victory for his side.
CG43 COOKING WITH GAS
Dean Vickerman set the United skipper a challenge a handful of games ago – that he wanted his veteran to put up 10+ three-pointers per match.
It has unlocked a fire within for Chris Goulding, who shot 4/9 from deep in a thrilling performance to finish with 19 points and four assists.
The United talisman captivated the crowd early, drilling three triples in the first term alone.
He’s one of the competition’s best shooters in history and doesn’t seem like he is slowing down either, leading the league in three-pointers yet again this season (69).
Goulding looms as a key component to United’s finals charge in the back end of the season.
WAARDENBURG RETURNS
The Cairns Taipans forward returned to the starting line-up after missing the past week due to a concussion suffered against the Brisbane Bullets.
The New Zealander put seven points on the board early and added another dimension to Cairns’ exciting brand of play.
His minutes on the court meant that Cairns became more versatile on both the offensive and defensive ends.
He was limited however and finished the night with seven points and three rebounds.
HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN
A seat at John Cain Arena was the hottest ticket in Melbourne on Friday night, as United fans packed out the arena for the third time this season.
The sell-out crowd created an incredible atmosphere, which gave the home side a significant edge in the crunch clash with the Taipans.
Melbourne United fans flocked to John Cain Arena by the masses for the club’s final home match of the calendar year, in what has become a match to circle on the NBL calendar.
United will be on the road for the next seven matches as John Cain Arena is required for the Australian Open and will not return to their home court until the final match of the regular season on February 5.
– Jarrod Lawler, The Mercury
It took them a quarter to warm up but it was well worth the wait as the JackJumpers snapped their two-game losing streak with a monster 87-60 win over a depleted and plucky Illawarra Hawks at MyState Bank Arena on Thursday night.
After a pair of tough losses to Cairns and Adelaide- two games in which they coughed up final quarter leads- the JackJumpers were back to their ruthless best for the final three periods in Thursday’s matchup as they overcame a slow start to suffocate the undermanned visitors with a morale-boosting 27-point win.
Entering Thursday night’s contest with just two wins from their first 16 games- and missing star import duo Tyler Harvey and Michael Frazier due to illness-the Hawks came out with nothing to lose against the Jackies and it paid dividends early as they sucker punched the home side to take a six-point quarter time lead thanks to a strong start from Hawks centre Sam Froling.
The visitors’ success was short-lived however as Scott Roth’s men soon found their mojo on both ends of the floor as they held the Hawks to just 39 points over the remaining three quarters while pouring in 72 of their own to register a huge victory.
After trailing 21-15 at quarter time, Milton Doyle and Jack McVeigh caught fire in the second term to lead the JJs on a 16-3 run to help set up a 44-35 half time lead they would soon extend with another huge run.
After the Hawks cut the lead to 48-42 early in the third term, the Jackies responded with a 16-0 barrage as they lead ballooned to 64-42 as Tasmania cruised to victory in the final term.
The crucial win ended a JackJumper record of three consecutive home losses, with Thursday’s clash the club’s first victory at MyState Bank Arena in exactly two months when they smashed the Wildcats by 31 points on October 22.
Five players scored in double figures for the JJs in the win, with McVeigh (15 points), Doyle (14 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals), and Rashard Kelly (14 points, five rebounds) leading the way in a well balanced attack.
Josh Magette (12 points, six rebounds, four assist, five steals) also played a brilliant all around game while Isaac White (11 points) continued to provide a great spark off the bench.
For the Hawks, Froling (19 points, eight rebounds, seven turnovers) tried his heart out for a depleted side missing its two leading scorers in Harvey and Frazier.
At 9-8, the Jackies will look to carry over their winning form into their Boxing Day clash with New Zealand, a side they’re yet to beat in three meetings so far this season.
QUARTER BY QUARTER BREAKDOWN
While Will Magnay was rockin’ the rim early in a one man show it was the only spectacle that Hobart crowd had to cheer early about as the home side went ice cold from the field as the plucky visitors jumped out to an early lead.
After Magnay scored the opening six points of the game and backed it up with a huge block on the other end, it was all downhill for the Jackies who struggled to hit shots as the Hawks went on a 17-4 run to hold a 21-15 quarter time advantage on the back of a big term from Froling.
The JJs shot just 31 per cent in the term while in contrast the visitors went at 45 per cent as Froling controlled the paint with nine points and five rebounds in a dominant opening term.
From there Doyle and McVeigh got red-hot as the Silent Assassin and the Smiling Assassin paired up for 17 of the JJs 29 second quarter points as they outscored the Hawks (14) on their own to help the JackJumpers turn a six-point deficit into a 44-35 half time lead.
It was much of the same in the critical third quarter as Tassie got contributions from multiple players in a 16-0 run in the middle of the period to hold a comfortable 21-point lead at the final charge.
The mid third quarter barrage came at a critical time for the JJs who were holding just a slim 48-42 lead that would soon blow out to 22 points on the back of the 16 unanswered points.
Riding a wave of momentum the JackJumpers continued on their merry way in the final term as they stormed home for their ninth win of the season.
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