What we learnt from Melbourne's Throwdown win

Former NBL MVP Derek Rucker says Sunday’s Throwdown win for Melbourne United has taught him not to doubt the credentials of head coach Dean Vickerman, or sharpshooter Chris Goulding.

United entered the clash without the services of starting pair Luke Travers and Matthew Dellavedova, as well as current Best Sixth Man contender Ian Clark due to concussion, calf and hamstring issues respectively.

Home side South East Melbourne shot out of the gates early, but Goulding exploded in the second half to finish the game with 26 points, while starting center Jo Lual-Acuil Jr was a force in the paint with a 26-point double-double.

Rucker also saved praise for United’s depth players who stepped up in the absence of Melbourne’s star trio.

“Melbourne United showed up and played hard, and a valuable lesson for me – never, ever doubt Dean Vickerman or Chris Goulding,” Rucker said on Moments That Mattered.

“The thing I like about Chris is his ability to understand when he is really needed. A lesser player today would have backed down from that challenge. He took it on, he hit big shot after big shot and as a result they get a much, much needed victory.

“[Kyle] Bowen and Flynn Cameron were outstanding. Cameron really kept them in the game when things looked like they were starting to slip away. He turned over enough points for them in the first half to keep it tight and then the studs came and took over.

“Shea Ili did his normal thing, he always lifts when someone goes down and that’s a big win for Melbourne United.

“Now they can relax a little bit knowing they just knocked off the Phoenix, people like me will stop commenting about how they’re going to go on a bad run, and now they can just play basketball a little bit.”

On the flip side of Melbourne’s gutsy win, South East Melbourne has been left reeling from the defeat.

United's trio of key absences saw the Phoenix enter the clash as the perceived likely winners, and although they started strongly, foul trouble to star center Alan Williams allowed the likes of Lual-Acuil Jr, Ariel Hukporti and Rob Loe flex their muscles against an undersized Phoenix lineup, that was forced to utilise Mitch Creek and Rhys Vague at center.

Rucker says the vibe of the Phoenix will go one of two ways following the loss. They’ll either rally back, or fall away.

“To lose that one will really stick with them,” Rucker said. “Now it’s up to them which way it will affect them.

“Will they go downhill and feel like ‘we blew an opportunity’ and are adversely affected, or are they going to come back and fight hard like Melbourne United did?”

Round 8 of NBL24 will open on Thursday, November 16, when Tasmania takes on New Zealand.