Hoops

SF1v4 Game 2: Breakers vs United, March 5

Awesome game, done and dusted, but am still disappointed this didn't go to a game 3! Credit 2 individual performances that killed the Breakers, really did sum up their season - started so well (both games), only to fall flat at the final siren. Really think the Breakers 'forgot how to win', no killer instinct - last 5-6 games they were up and 4th quarters killed them.

End of regulation Sosa trying to be the hero, had Loe open on Ware and on the rebound a wide open Penny who had been on fire! Were they better going for the Ili drive? Goulding charge or flop?

Thought Christmas did some nice things, but was a liability in OT and Boone's final putback... on replay I thought he did travel - but impossible for refs to call that!

Now to decide who to support for finals!!

Correct pro sport revolves around the fans' sleeping patterns NOT junior sport. Your point?

Penny! Class act......

Link to short video clip of last few seconds of game winner? Thanks.

Pro sport doesn't take a back seat to juniors. What world do you live in?

Exactly. If you say the name to people they will think "is that a soccer team?"

I understand why they chose United - to gather all the ex Tigers/Magic/Giants/Titans etc. fans together under a generic name but the problem is it is a common soccer club denonym.

I still hate the fact that Melbourne United sounds like the local soccer team.

I understand that Tribe.

But actually being in Melbourne and in a sports bar area it shocked me at how it is such a non-factor.

Don't get me wrong in Perth it's not a big deal either but people would look up at the screen and say "oh Wildcats are playing in a semi" but in Melbourne people weren't even doing that or what was on the screen didn't even register to them! It doesn't help "Melbourne United" is an ambigious name with no history either.

Melbourne now get a very decent break going into the GF series. If the other semi series goes to 3 games it stretches out even longer.

Yes , great game , enjoyed it ..
(other than abercrombie disappointment .. didn't look like scoring....)

You wouldn't know it being in Melbourne. At the sports bar at Crown I had to ask them to put TVs on it despite no other live events being on. Then once on no one ever even looked at the screens. Melbourne make a GF but no Melburnians care frankly.

Yeah good point Paul. Abercrombie certainly started well and then faded this year. Newbill turned out a lot better than I expected based on his modest resume, but with Penney slowing down and Abercrombie horribly out of form by year end, this made up for it.

I thought they needed more mobility from their bigs and this was evident in different ways in each game- Game 1 being exposed on the pick and rolls and also Casper taking them to the hoop. And Game 2 where they kept losing Boone on his cuts around the hoop.

Maybe if Delaney was fit they would've had more options. Also surprised they kept Christmas and sat Pledger so long yesterday.

Ultimately it's about playing well at this time of year. I'm glad we got a tight series as predicted.

Regarding the Newbill foul, you have got to play the %'s and make that play. Granted it didn't work out for NZ ultimately but fouling Ware in that instance was the right thing to do. Great call by the MU players on that last inbound play too. It looked like they called it themselves without going to Vickerman. Great leadership by Vickerman to let them do that too. Overall, a fantastic game by both teams and a tremendous advert for the league.

That Newbill foul seemed smart at the time, but if he didn't commit it I'm not sure Melbourne would've got a particularly good look off.

Boone and his last basket.

He just imposed his will on the game and forced that sucker into the hoop. I thought it was a good microcosm of his whole game last night... and all his good games.

He doesn’t have length or reliable foul shooting.

He does have strength, power, hops and a determined persistence to finish off near the basket. Boone is a colossus in the paint. Is there any other centre/ pf with this combo in the same quantity?

If ADL win, they could try Childress on him for crafty D. Childress could strip the ball a few times and lower his confidence levels. When Childress tires, bring on Hodgson for close guarding with hard fouls, not his usual stupid fouls. Wear him down. Johnson too soft except on rare occasions.

That Breakers start to the Game reminded me of that Fremantle Dockers 'purple wall' prelim game against the Sydney Swans in 2013.

Amazing D. As good a period of intense D as you've seen from Perth at any point in the last decade

Melbournes offence is not as functional with Goulding,Ware and Prather together, Prather got weary and Penny hit what could have been the winning three, his defence was ok, Moller was very good early when Melbourne kept turning the ball over but coach seems to stick with his stars.

Hate this result. Melbourne give us fits should we make the gf. They seem to have our number most of the time.

Is it possible for a team to 'limp to the championship'?

If so, that's United.

LV - 36ers a "slightly more formidable" challenge (assuming they make the GF)? I would suggest increasing the strength of the adjective used to describe how formidable the challenge will be ;P

Boone was huge. But did he travel on that last possession? Only saw it once at game speed but it looked like he had a few steps/hops in gathering the ball before the shot?

Boone destroyed Christmas tonight.

Christmas -26 in an OT game. Meanwhile, Boone runs rampant for Melbourne. Hard to overcome that difference.

Very entertaining game though!

Well Boone and Casper certainly justified their 1st team selections in this series

Was impressed with Goulding's game too. All around game including plenty of quality assists, defensive efforts as well as a few trademark carpark threes.

Could've gone either way so you do feel for NZ a bit. Would've been a bit of romance seeing Penney in a game 3.

Still, United's D got them there, locking down NZ down the stretch of Q4 after it looked like NZ were well placed for victory at one point.

Ultimately that's what I felt of NZ all season- not quite enough classy weapons. Solid team, well drilled, but They didn't quite have the elite talent to get through United's great D.

Adelaide though will present a different- and dare I say it, slightly more formidable- challenge

Yes very enjoyable game.

Melbourne back to playing like before Prather went down, to much one out and starters only. Adelaide should start favourite if the get job done against Perth, commentary was woefull not certain if they were at the game, lol.

So much irrational hate for Goulding in here. Wares hero ball shot late in the 4th was terrible, not a peep. Goulding takes a real charge from Sosa and no call, not a peep.

Even the homer NZ commentators were able to say he played good D today.

Boone was huge today, he won that game.

Wow. Boone was huge tonight, on a night where a number of guys on both teams were MIA.

Yeah.

Won game for his team throughout the game.

Then won game in dying fraction of final second with final put back under pressure.

Take a bow, Boone

Yeah but fouling out was a contribution towards game quality

Don't forget the CG43 heroball shot earlier when Melbs offence was going well

Up by 3
Team loses ball on O
Brainless foul

Go cg43

LOLding

Next year Melbourne will be back to 3 imports.

Sosa absoutely the wrong person lead gat last play and get Christmas off. And again with Sosa. Put Ili on, he deserves the time to show what he’s got.

Christmas is killing NZ in OT

OT!

Penney aint going to die wondering.

ive been watching deleon, and remember what his coach said that they needed a penetrator. it made me think about how few players we have in the nbl that can beat their man with the ball in their hands.

we really are a league full of players who rely on ball movement for open looks or to stretch the defense to open the lane. deleon has shown how dangerous someone can be if they can make their own shot. even our athletes dont make the most of their abilities because they still rely on ball movement. guys like creek, walker and abercrombie have the burst speed and power but not the skills to beat their man.

its something that has been a bit of a weakness for the sixers in the last few years as well but a bit less this year with warren ( who can beat his man off the dribble but isnt a great finisher) and johnson is very dangerous because with his speed and footwork he really can beat alot of players who will get matched up on him.

who do people here rate as some of the best at this in the nbl??

also, the names that will get thrown up would likely be mostly imports ( deleon, maybe lisch? etc)
is this a failure of our junior systems to develop the skills required?? some would say that we dont have the athletes that america does but i believe its more the ball handling ability and footwork that sets the great penetrators apart.

Majok is just... omg. What is going on upstairs with that guy?

They call him 'Majok Majok' in case he forgets the first time

Breakers hit 7 3 pointers that qtr?

Good game!!

*1st half

NZ should have made more of their 2st half superiority. They blew it.

Yep. Ware is as dirty and cocky as Goulding. Going for an Oscar best supporting flopper to favourite Goulding.

*scrapper....

36ers staff watching this game quietly contemplating which part of the office the trophy would look best in

Wow... Ugggggllllllleeeeee game so far... If it ends up being Melb vs Adel GF, it will be concerning IF 36ers maintain their high scoring ability against a seriously challenged United offence. Lucky they have a great scrapped in Boone to keep them in touch.

Seems like some fans didn't realise that GM1 was much closer than final margin and NZ let the game slip away like they have so many games this season. As a result, even with a good NZ lead, I still don't have confidence in them to play the way they need to for long enough to close out games....

What is Rob Loe doing. Two dumb fouls (the 1st Q one on Goulding too where he couldve been called 3 times) and he's lucky he hasn't been ejected already.