Melbourne United Destroy Taipans to Stay Perfect at 5–0

Melbourne United made it five straight wins to start NBL26, dismantling the Cairns Taipans 95–60 in a ruthless Sunday display at John Cain Arena.

It was a welcome return for captain Chris Goulding, who made his first league appearance of the season after a quad injury. The veteran guard came off the bench and wasted no time making his mark, drilling four triples and matching Dutch big man Jesse Edwards with 16 points apiece in the blowout win.

United were clinical from the outset and put the game beyond doubt before half-time, unleashing a 25–0 run across the first and second quarters that left Cairns stunned. Melbourne led 42–15 midway through the second period and never looked back, controlling every facet of the contest.

Edwards continued his impressive start to life in the NBL, adding 12 rebounds to his 16 points, while import guard Tyson Walker — playing through a thumb injury — chipped in 12 points and kept the tempo high.

Tom Koppens (nine points, three rebounds, two steals) and Fabijan Krslovic (eight points, three boards) provided spark off the bench, while Finn Delany contributed across the board with eight points, five rebounds and four assists. Teenage Next Star Dash Daniels also showed his promise with seven points and five boards.

The victory reinforced Melbourne’s status as the benchmark team in the league. At 5–0, Dean Vickerman’s squad has been near flawless, boasting an average winning margin of 21 points and a balance that few teams can match.

Meanwhile, the Taipans endured another nightmare outing. The visitors committed 26 turnovers and shot a woeful 4-of-27 from beyond the arc, failing to find any rhythm or composure. They’ve now dropped three straight games and three by margins of over 30 points.

Admiral Schofield had a night to forget — zero field goals, five turnovers, and an early exit after fouling out in the third quarter. Marcus Lee followed him soon after with his own fifth foul, ending with seven points, seven rebounds, and four turnovers.

Jack McVeigh battled hard for eight points, six boards, and four assists, but again found himself underused offensively. Andrew Andrews added 10 points and six assists but was sloppy with the ball, committing seven turnovers. Alex Higgins-Titsha was the lone bright spot for Cairns, top-scoring with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

By half-time, the game was effectively over. United led 48–25 as Cairns went 0-of-13 from three-point range and 9-of-27 overall from the field. The Snakes showed minor resistance in the third quarter — even McVeigh’s heavy off-ball contact with Goulding couldn’t shift the momentum.

Melbourne’s composure and depth again stood out as Vickerman spread minutes across his rotation without losing control. Goulding’s smooth shooting return and Edwards’ dominance in the paint underscored the sense that this is a team built to right the wrongs of the past two runner-up finishes.

United now turn their attention to a Friday clash with the struggling Brisbane Bullets, while the Taipans return home for a must-win three-game stretch beginning Saturday against the Adelaide 36ers.

Final score: Melbourne United 95 defeated Cairns Taipans 60.