Melbourne United defeats New Zealand Breakers to claim first win of new NBL season
After he picked up his third foul late in the third quarter, Melbourne United star Chris Goulding should have been benched. But, with so much at stake, coach Dean Vickerman to left him in the game. It would prove decisive.
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The smart decision would have been to sub Chris Goulding out of the game.
After five straight points to give United its first lead against New Zealand Breakers late in the third quarter, the sharpshooter picked up his third foul — still with more than three minutes to go.
Coach Dean Vickerman ushered youngster Sam McDaniel over to the scorers’ table and signalled for Goulding to come out of the game, the aim to preserve his last two fouls for the fourth quarter.
But the white-hot Goulding had other ideas, pleading with his coach to keep him in the game.
Vickerman’s head would have said no, but his trust in his star is so infinite that he reneged and left his star on the floor.
It proved a masterstroke.
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On the very next play, Goulding would drain his fourth three-pointer of the match, giving United a four-point lead, it’s biggest of the match.
From there, it remained a tight clash as both sides traded blows, but the ascendancy had shifted and United played with a purpose and patience that had been lacking in the first half.
Goulding would finish with 24 points, forming a stunning triple threat with imports Shawn Long and Melo Trimble.
After Long’s frustrations boiled over in a first-half where United surrendered a record 58 points, causing a technical foul and then a needless offensive foul, Aussie hoops legend Chris Anstey mused he and Trimble were still learning what it took to win in the league.
“I think he’s (Long) still got to learn how to win,” three-time NBL champion Anstey said.
“The same could be said for Melo Trimble.
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“They’re both extraordinarily talented but little things, moments in games can really hurt championship calibre teams. He needs to be a little bit better in his consistency.”
It was fitting that the pair would be key figures in the turnaround.”
Trimble would draw a late foul with 14 seconds left and make both free throws to ice the game, before Long closed it out, again from the line, making the final margin 6.
The towering former Philadelphia 76er finished with a game-high 27 points to go with 11 rebounds, while Trimble backed him up with 24 points and 6 assists.
“The problem with the season so far is finishing games, but I think tonight we just let our heart take over and we finished the right way,” Long said.
“We look forward to going to Cairns and capitalising on this.
“I think we all came here knowing that it was a must-win, especially being at home, we hadn’t got one yet, but this is just the foundation for what we’re trying to do.”
NBA prospect RJ Hampton’s first half was a thing of beauty for New Zealand.
Just 18 years old Hampton eclipsed his NBL career-high with 12 points on perfect shooting before halftime, his performance punctuated by a gorgeous hesitation move off the dribble that froze Goulding and underlined why NBA scouts are salivating over his talents.
9⃣ minutes
— NBL (@NBL) October 26, 2019
1⃣2⃣ points
0⃣ misses
Not bad @RjHampton14, not bad.#NZBatMEL live on @SBSVICELAND + @SBSOnDemand #NBL20 pic.twitter.com/ZPgYHAKCmX
Alex Pledger, who missed the game due to illness, earlier this week called for calm as United had slipped to 0-3, following losses to South East Melbourne and Perth Wildcats twice, each by three points or less.
He was right, there was no need for panic.
With the first win ticked off and gun import Casey Prather still to come back, United can breath a little easier ahead of a Monday night road date with the plucky Cairns Taipans.
Originally published as Melbourne United defeats New Zealand Breakers to claim first win of new NBL season