Melbourne United Surges Past South East Melbourne Phoenix in a Dominant Win

Melbourne United reasserted their position at the top of the NBL ladder with a composed and convincing 92–81 win over the South East Melbourne Phoenix in Throwdown 30 at John Cain Arena on Saturday night.

The matchup marked the first time in 30 meetings that both clubs entered a Throwdown sitting first and second on the table. The stakes were high, and the opening half lived up to it with tight swings and strong defensive pressure from both sides.

United arrived under pressure after dropping their previous two games to Sydney and Illawarra, while the Phoenix came in riding a five-game winning streak. For two quarters, it looked like another close one. But Melbourne broke the game open after half-time.

Leading 47–45 at the break, United produced a commanding third quarter, outscoring the Phoenix 21–12 and building a 22-point margin. Their defensive intensity forced South East Melbourne into 22 turnovers while holding them to 42 per cent shooting.

At the other end, Melbourne shot 48 per cent from the field and hit 12 triples. Tyson Walker led the way with 24 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals, while Chris Goulding added 16 points and four threes. Melbourne were +25 during Walker’s 32 minutes on the floor.

Finn Delany had one of his strongest all-round games of the season, finishing with 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals in a physical battle with John Brown III. Milton Doyle also chipped in 12 points and five assists.

For the Phoenix, Nathan Sobey top-scored with 15 points but struggled to find rhythm, shooting 5-of-16 from the field. Wes Iwundu added 10 points and pulled in six second-half rebounds, while Owen Foxwell contributed nine points and seven assists. Brown III also battled hard with nine points and eight rebounds.

The loss drops the Phoenix to 7–3, while United improves to 8–2 and remains firmly atop the standings. Melbourne will now stay home to host the Brisbane Bullets next Saturday. South East Melbourne head north to face the Cairns Taipans on Friday night.

Final score: South East Melbourne Phoenix 81 defeated by Melbourne United 92.