United annihilate Taipans to go to 5-0

Melbourne United captain Chris Goulding made a successful return from injury to help his team extend their unbeaten start to the NBL campaign with a 95-60 thumping of the hapless Cairns Taipans.

Goulding missed his team's first four games of the season with a quadriceps injury and was still working his way back during last Friday night's clash with the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans at Rod Laver Arena.

But the 36-year-old guard had an instant impact off the bench at John Cain Arena on Sunday and finished with an equal game-high 16 points in the one-sided affair.

Melbourne took complete control of the contest before half-time, opening up a 42-15 lead on the back of a 25-0 run through the first and second periods.

Dutch dunker Jesse Edwards had 16 points and 12 boards, while fellow import Tyson Walker had 12 points despite a lingering thumb injury.

There were plenty more contributors for Melbourne with Tom Koppens finishing with nine points, three rebounds and two steals, Fabijan Krslovic eight points and three boards, Finn Delany eight points, five rebounds and four assists, and Next Star Dash Daniels seven points and five boards.

The lop-sided result gave Melbourne a perfect 5-0 record and an average winning margin of 21 points.

Cairns (2-4) were beaten at home by Perth on Friday night and have lost three straight games, while also suffering three defeats by more than 30 points this season.

The Taipans coughed up 26 turnovers against Melbourne in a horror performance and shot the ball at just 37 per cent from the field along with 4/27 from three-point territory.

Admiral Schofield had just two points and five turnovers on 0/5 shooting before fouling out in the third quarter while experienced centre Marcus Lee also fouled out early in the fourth after having seven points and seven rebounds with four turnovers.

Andrew Andrews had seven turnovers to go with 10 points, six assists and five rebounds while Jack McVeigh again only had six shot attempts for eight points, six rebounds and four assists with Alex Higgins-Titsha top-scoring with 16 points on 6/8 shooting.

Everything went Melbourne's way in the first half and the home side led 48-25 at the main break.

Cairns were 0/13 from the three-point line at that stage and 9/27 from the field.

The Snakes showed some fight in the third period and McVeigh floored Goulding off the ball.

But the margin remained in double figures throughout the second half as United coach Dean Vickerman gave his bench plenty of minutes.

Melbourne will now head to Brisbane to face the struggling Bullets on Friday night while the Snakes head home for the first of three straight games beginning on Saturday against the Adelaide 36ers.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26

MELBOURNE UNITED 95 (Edwards 16, Goulding 16, Walker 12)

CAIRNS TAIPANS 60 (Higgins-Titsha 16, Andrews 10, Galloway 8, McVeigh 8)

BOX SCORE