Doyle sparks ‘significant’ United blitz in NBL thumping
Shayne Hope |
Melbourne United have produced a devastating late blitz to keep their unbeaten start to the NBL season alive with a 103-83 win over South East Melbourne.
Phoenix part-owner Nick Kyrgios was among the sold-out crowd at John Cain Arena on Thursday night but left disappointed with his team’s first loss of the campaign.
Runners-up the last two seasons, Melbourne (3-0) have already stamped themselves as early title contenders again.
Dean Vickerman’s men have posted consecutive wins over Tasmania, New Zealand and the Phoenix despite the absence of veteran sharp-shooter Chris Goulding (quad).
American guard Milton Doyle top-scored with 18 points in his first derby to help United improve their overall head-to-head record against their local rivals to 20-9.
Melbourne built a double-figure lead in the first half but were behind 70-66 in the third period before Shea Ili and Doyle sparked a 22-0 run.
It included a 13-0 start to the final period as United flexed their considerable muscle.
Tyson Walker had 13 points and eight assists, Ili had 10 and seven, and Fabijan Krslovic added 12 points off the bench in a strong team display.
But Vickerman wasn’t entirely happy, bemoaning the 18 turnovers and 17 offensive rebounds his side gave up.
“To go on a 22-0 run at any point in the game is pretty significant,” Vickerman said.
“So we’ll look back at the end of the third quarter and the first five minutes of the fourth as the type of basketball that we want to play.
“If you look at the negative side of it, we turned the ball over way too much … we tidied it up a little bit but still not at a level where we would like it.
“We gave up too many offensive rebounds that gave them 11 extra shots than us tonight.
“We want to be better in those two areas but we had a really good spread of minutes and a really good contribution from a lot of people.”
South East Melbourne guard Nathan Sobey (26 points) caught fire in the first and third periods, key to his team briefly edging ahead after the main break.
But United took complete control from there and Next Star Dash Daniels (nine points, five rebounds, three assists) sent the home crowd crazy when he nailed a late three.
Import forward John Brown III (12 points) was the only other Phoenix player in double figures.
Josh King conceded it was a reality check for his Phoenix team, who thumped Cairns in round one but lacked physicality when it mattered against their cross-town rivals.
“We thoroughly got outplayed and out-toughed. They did to us what we would like to do to them,” King said.
“It was a man’s game and we weren’t ready to play like men tonight. It doesn’t mean we’re not that but we weren’t tonight.
“We fought for a while and there were some good things … but then it wasn’t good for a long time.
“They had a lot to do with that but we thought we had arrived but we quickly found out that we haven’t arrived.”
Both sides will sit out round three of the NBL season while featuring in the exhibition series against the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans.
Melbourne return in an away clash with Sydney on October 8, and host Cairns four days later in a busy round four.
South East Melbourne visit New Zealand on October 12.
AAP
