Melbourne United arrived in Cairns riding a four-game losing streak, but managed to steady the ship with a hard-fought 76-66 win over the Taipans on Boxing Day. In a defensive struggle, United had to dig deep and fend off a spirited second half rally from the home team to snap their skid.
United’s Strong Start Sets the Tone
The visitors came out of the gates firing, using a 14-1 run to close the first quarter with a 12-point lead. United’s advantage ballooned to as much as 20 in the second period as they clamped down defensively, taking a 46-29 lead into halftime.
Holding any team on their home floor to 66 is a good effort so we’ve really picked it up at that end.
– United coach Dean Vickerman
The strong start proved crucial as United had to weather a major Taipans comeback in the second half. First-year import Tanner Groves almost singlehandedly brought Cairns back, scoring the first seven points after the break.
Taipans Rally Falls Short
When Kyle Adnam scored back-to-back buckets to open the fourth quarter, the Taipans had cut the deficit to just four points. Staring at a potential fifth straight loss, United had to regroup.
Key contributions from Jack White (14 pts, 8 reb) and Marcus Lee (8 pts, 9 reb) helped Melbourne steady the ship. The visitors also dominated the glass, out-rebounding Cairns 58-30 to generate 11 extra shot attempts.
- Chris Goulding led United with 19 points and 5 rebounds
- Ian Clark added 12 points off the bench
- Matthew Dellavedova chipped in 7 points and 6 assists
The fact that we brought it back from 20 down in such a grinding game like it was I’ll continue to give the boys credit for continuing to compete and fight.
– Taipans coach Adam Forde
Despite a valiant effort, Cairns simply couldn’t overcome their offensive woes. The Taipans shot just 34% from the field and 9-of-32 from three-point range. Taran Armstrong and Rob Edwards combined to shoot a paltry 3-of-21.
Groves Shines in Defeat
The lone bright spot for Cairns was the play of Tanner Groves. The bearded big man scored a game-high 20 points to go with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks in an impressive all-around performance.
Unfortunately for the Taipans, Groves didn’t have enough help as the team dropped its 14th straight game to fall to 3-15 on the season. They remain alone in last place.
United Gets Back on Track
For Melbourne, the win improves their record to 13-8 as they maintain a grip on second place in the NBL standings. More importantly, it gets them back in the win column as they embark on a daunting seven-game road trip.
Coach Dean Vickerman was pleased with his team’s effort, especially on the defensive end and the boards. If United can maintain that level of intensity and execution, they have a chance to string together some victories away from home.
The Boxing Day triumph was far from pretty, but Melbourne will gladly take it. In a grind-it-out affair, United made just enough plays down the stretch to gut out a much-needed win. They’ll look to carry that momentum into the new year as the playoff race heats up in the NBL.
