McGee returns and Hawks overpower United

The Illawarra Hawks beat Melbourne United for the NBL25 championship and now just about consigned them to fifth position in NBL26 with JaVale McGee leading their dominant 100-91 win at John Cain Arena.

To finish fourth United almost certainly needed to win Sunday's home clash with the defending champions, who are already out of post-season contention as the defending champions.

Melbourne did start well enough to lead early by nine before things deteriorated with the Hawks bursting clear and then defying a brief final quarter rally to complete the nine-point victory showing how dangerous they still are.

United (19-13), again without head coach Dean Vickerman (appendicitis) and their main playmaker and defensive maestro Shea Ili (hamstring), began the season with nine straight wins.

But again on Sunday they battled for any flow on offence and came unstuck at the other end, with on-ball defence an issue that led to some easy Hawks (12-20, eighth) buckets.

The result all but locks United into fifth, with Perth one win clear in fourth and with an extra game, plus percentage, in hand.

It sets up a mouth-watering knockout clash with the JackJumpers that will determine who plays the loser of a third-against-fourth Play-In Game to decide the Playoffs match-ups.

McGee missed Friday night's game for Illawarra with knee soreness in a loss to Sydney, but he was back on Sunday and off the bench had the better of his battle with United import centre Jesse Edwards.

The three-time NBA champion finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two blocks on 8/12 shooting in just under 24 minutes.

Tyler Harvey added 18 points and five rebounds in the win with Davo Hickey contributing 13 points, three steals and two assists, QJ Peterson 13 points and six assists, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk 11 points and two assists, and 472-game veteran Todd Blanchfield 11 points on 3/4 three-point shooting.

Melbourne did get a combined 64 points from imports Tyson Walker (30 points, four assists), Milton Doyle (21 points, six assists, four steals) and Edwards (13 points, nine rebounds).

Everyone else struggled including Chris Goulding who had just six points on 2/8 shooting in Rhys Carter's second game of the weekend in charger after Vickerman went down with appendicitis in Cairns on Thursday.

After Melbourne's 9-0 start, Illawarra were able to pick up control of the contest once McGee checked into the game and then never really let up.

The Hawks ended up going on their own 11-0 run and built a lead as big as 18 points, and while Melbourne did try to mount a couple of fourth quarter fightbacks, Illawarra continued to have the answers.

Hickey bobbed up with a bucket, steal and assist for Blanchfield on successive plays, before a Swaka Lo Buluk triple boosted the visitors to safety again.

The Hawks now have one game to go as defending champions on the road to the Tasmania JackJumpers on Wednesday while United finish their regular season with a Throwdown with the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Thursday night.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26 – ROUND 21

MELBOURNE UNITED 91 (Walker 30, Doyle 21, Edwards 13)

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 100 (McGee 22, Harvey 18, Peterson 13, Hickey 13)

BOX SCORE