"Pissed off": Delly slams performance

As Melbourne United slumped to their third consecutive loss for the first time since 2022, Matthew Dellavedova shared his team's frustrations.

“Everyone’s pretty pissed off, as we should be,” he said.

“There's no one to blame except ourselves. We’re going to have to respond, we're going to have to hold each other accountable.”

United got off to a flying start at John Cain Arena, but it was all downhill from there, as their crosstown rivals dominated the second half - 58-38. 

What was once the best defensive team in the competition prior to the FIBA break, United has given up 100-plus points in all three losses and it’s an issue that Dean Vickerman is looking to address.

“We’re just not at the level defensively at the moment,” he said after their loss to the Phoenix.

“We just can’t stop people in the paint.”

With Chris Goulding and Marcus Lee missing the team’s games this weekend, Melbourne hasn't been able to find enough contributors.

On Friday night, Vickerman blasted his leaders and told them to "toughen up" and you could see the response early in Sunday's game. Unfortunately, it didn't last. 

“I’ve got to be better, everyone else has to be better,” Dellavedova said.

“As players we have to be able to dig in and figure it out, because losing three in a row is unacceptable.”

Melbourne hosts Tasmania on December in the annual open air game and then doesn't return to John Cairn Arena until February 1. It’s a road stretch that will test Vickerman’s men, but it’s one that the players believe they can handle.

“We know we can do it, it’s just a matter of being able to sustain it and everyone being connected on that end of the floor,” Dellavedova said.

It's far from panic stations for the championship favourites, but they'd want to turn it around pretty quickly, with the Hawks, Wildcats, Kings and JackJumpers just a handful of the teams on the rise.