United beat Phoenix as NBL returns to Victoria

NBL basketball returned to Victoria and Melbourne United pulled out their best shooting to beat out a brave South East Melbourne Phoenix at Bendigo Stadium on Sunday.

United rookie Jack White (career-high 22 points) and guard Shea Ili (14 points) made some big outside shots before Boomers duo Chris Goulding (19 points) and Jock Landale (16 points) made sure of the 96-90 win in the tight final term.

United star Chris Goulding said his side was regularly going to have different players leading the way offensively as White and Ili showed.

"We've got so many talented guys that someone is going to get hot or we will focus on someone so others will have to take a backseat," Goulding said.

"Some guys might have to take a backseat at times but that doesn’t mean everyone isn’t aggressive and making the right plays.

"The best thing about our group is that we are smart enough where we can try to make some reads and realise where the defence is overplaying."

Phoenix import Keifer Sykes led his club with 24 points and seven assists while Yanni Wetzell added 17 points and seven rebounds.

United is now 3-0 to start the season while the Phoenix have endured an exhaustive schedule to be 2-3 as they now finally get to return home to Melbourne for the first time since leaving for Hobart on New Year's Day.

The Phoenix were stoic arriving in town on the back of the month-long road trip and a win over Perth on Friday night but despite strong efforts, they couldn’t find answers for a United team who shot 12/25 from three-point range.

Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell praised his players for their determination to win the final term 36-30.

"It’s disappointing to lose but I can’t argue with the effort - I thought we played as well as we could given the circumstances," Mitchell said.

"They are a very talented team and you have to try and restrict the effectiveness of their blue-chip guys. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat when guys like Shea Ili, Jack White come out and hit shots. 

"We don’t leave them open, we wanted to make late closeouts but just couldn’t do it. You have got to live with that sometimes."

White was aggressive from the outside with the Country Victorian product knocking down two threes in the opening minutes although the Phoenix continued to grind Sykes posted 10 points for the quarter to keep scores tied at 22-22.

The Phoenix took a slim lead early in the second term but White took his game inside throwing down two impressive dunks while Sykes and McCarron came face to face after the Phoenix import objected to his United opponent trying to take the ball from him after he was called for an offensive foul.

A late run from United and more points from White saw them lead 47-40 at half-time.

The Phoenix didn’t look like a side who had spent the last month on the road as they continued to find different scorers as Yanni Wetzell and Ben Moore started to make moves inside.

But a late 8-0 run from Melbourne including threes from Chris Goulding and David Barlow saw United up 66-54 heading into the fourth quarter.

Jo Lual-Acuil threw down a dunk and added another bucket to extend the lead to 15 points but the Phoenix kept chipping away cutting that edge to six points with four minutes to play.

Landale only had seven shots heading into the last term but he began to establish himself in the paint with three power dunks while Goulding nailed a couple of vital threes to keep his side ahead.

Late baskets from Cam Gliddon and Sykes cut the lead to four points in the final minute but it wasn’t enough.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 3

MELBOURNE UNITED 96 (White 22, Goulding 19, Landale 16)

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 90 (Sykes 24, Wetzell 17, Creek 13) 

BOX SCORE