Crucial Pre-Christmas Open Air Win for United

Saturday, December 24, 2022

The John Cain Arena roof was open, more than 10,000 people packed it out and they saw Melbourne United just do enough to hold out the Cairns Taipans for a crucial 84-81 NBL victory on Friday night.

Cairns had the measure of Melbourne in the first two meetings between the two teams this season but United now has little margin for error to stay in the playoff race.

That meant there was plenty at stake as they started their massive Christmas weekend against the third placed Taipans, and while United opened up a lead in the first quarter and maintained it the rest of the way, there was nothing easy about it.

Every time Melbourne threatened to pull away to a match-winning edge the Taipans would find a way back into the contest and one of the highlights was the hounding defensive job Mirko Djeric was doing on United captain Chris Goulding.

Goulding hit three three-pointers in the first quarter but didn’t hit another field goal until four minutes into the fourth. However, he soon also hit his fourth three of the game to keep Melbourne up by 13.

While the Snakes kept on coming and did get back within three to earn themselves a chance to send the game into overtime late when Goulding travelled, Tahjere McCall's three didn’t drop.

That saw United secure the three-point win to improve to 9-11 on the season as they head to Sydney to play on Christmas Day.

The Snakes remain in the top four but go into Christmas at 10-7 having lost their last two.

Rayjon Tucker's sparkling form for Melbourne continued with another 27 points and eight rebounds including hitting 4/7 from beyond the arc.

Goulding finished with 19 points, four rebounds and three assists while Shea Ili contributed 14 points, Marcus Lee eight points, 10 rebounds and two statement blocks, and Mason Peatling eight points, five boards and four assists.

United coach Dean Vickerman was just relieved to come away with the win and see continued good signs.

"I love the way we came out tonight. We put our feet in the paint, got them in some foul trouble and they ran out of timeouts in that first half, and we wanted to keep pressing," Vickerman said.

"There were some things like them making a three on the buzzer where we made some little errors and got really punished for it, but we dealt with it and got the win.

"There was moments down the stretch there where Hogg made some tough shots and we just had to do some simple things. In the end, they missed a tough shot and we walk away with the win. Our best was great but our worst was punished."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">IS THAT GOODNIGHT FROM RAYJON TUCKER?<br><br>A STAR SLAMMING IT DOWN BENEATH THE STARS ?? <a href="https://t.co/DmTgeqEm9i">pic.twitter.com/DmTgeqEm9i</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1606236427024420864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Tahjere McCall finished the night top-scoring for Cairns with 21 points to go with seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. DJ Hogg added 20 points, five rebounds and three assists, Keanu Pinder 16 points and eight boards, and Shannon Scott 12 points, three assists and two steals.

Taipans coach Adam Forde was proud of his team's fight especially considering it was their fifth game in 14 days.

"It took us a while to get flowing offensively and we tried to go to a particular game model which wasn’t as clean as we'd hoped or liked," Forde said.

"Keanu is a big focus especially so when his face fouled Rayjon Tucker and we had to go stitch him up we had to sort of look to other avenues, and then try to get him back going.

"It was just the result I think of a bit of a long schedule, and long couple of weeks. Credit to the guys, we just really were gritty to the end and made it a contest and I can't fault what the boys did in the face of adversity."

Rayjon Tucker got off to another hot start for Melbourne with the game's first five points and by the time Chris Goulding knocked down three three-pointers, including one that counted after an offensive foul was overturned on a Dean Vickerman challenge, Melbourne was up 16-6.

United maintained that lead for most of the rest of the opening quarter until Shannon Scott closed it out with a triple to bring the Snakes back within five after one.

Sam Waardenburg then opened up the second quarter with a three and Cairns was back within two but tempers were beginning to flare under the setting sun.

Melbourne soon pulled away once more and it was back-to-back triples from Tucker that completed a 9-0 run to see that lead get out to a game-high 15 points.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The bank is open for DJ Hogg, and the Snakes are building ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel. <a href="https://t.co/vNstyEf8Eh">pic.twitter.com/vNstyEf8Eh</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1606227395349909504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Cairns did steady with the next five points including a make from downtown by Majok Deng. Brad Newley responded in kind for Melbourne but the Taipans stayed in touch and a near half-court shot from Tahjere McCall went in to cut the United lead to 47-39 by the break.

Tucker and Goulding had combined for 30 points on 6/11 three-point shooting for Melbourne but Cairns did well to hang around despite Keanu Pinder's impact limited and despite the 10 turnovers.

Melbourne's lead was back out beyond double-digits with the first four points of the second but the Taipans kept in touch and closed the gap to four on the back of three-pointers from McCall and Hogg while Mirko Djeric continued to frustrate Goulding.

United did hit back with a Shea Ili three-point bomb on the back of a huge block from Marcus Lee on an attempted block from Pinder.

However, the Snakes hung around and Pinder scored on the buzzer to cut Melbourne's lead to eight at three quarter-time.

Cairns' fourth quarter didn’t start well with Bul Kuol picking up his fifth foul and then a bomb by Tucker stretched Melbourne's lead to 11, but the Snakes weren’t going away.

They hit the next five points including a big block from Pinder on Peatling to again be within six with six minutes to play.

Out of that timeout, Goulding made his first field goal since quarter-time having sneaked away from Djeric. Peatling then scored a layup on a turnover and United were back up 10 with another timeout called.

A Goulding triple pushed Melbourne's lead back out to 13 but Cairns scored the next eight points to make things interesting with the margin just five with two minutes to play.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">GO AND GET IT MARCUS ??<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel. <a href="https://t.co/Bl7Wb584tK">pic.twitter.com/Bl7Wb584tK</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1606211204476588033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

But another Cairns turnover led to a Tucker breakaway throwdown which ultimately proved the sealer for the three-point Melbourne win despite some nervy moments down the stretch.

Melbourne will now prepare to be part of history by playing the Sydney Kings on Christmas Day while the Taipans don't play again until hosting the Adelaide 36ers on New Year's Eve.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 12

MELBOURNE UNITED 84 (Tucker 27, Goulding 19, Ili 14)

CAIRNS TAIPANS 81 (McCall 21, Hogg 20, Pinder 16)

BOX SCORE