NBL21: Melbourne United defeats South East Melbourne Phoenix in Bendigo
Melbourne United’s big guns just did what they had to do against a road-weary South East Melbourne Phoenix as young star Jack White stole the show.
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Call them the surprise guys.
Recruits Jack White and Yannick Wetzell have quickly exceeded expectations to become linchpins for their respective Melbourne teams.
White put on a show and Wetzell was one of his side’s best players in the NBL’s return to Bendigo, the former’s United holding off a spirited challenge from the latter’s road-weary Phoenix, 96-90, in the first Throwdown of 2021.
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Jock Landale and Scott Hopson might have grabbed the headlines, but White has arguably been the pick of United’s recruits in 2020.
A defensive dynamo, the Traralgon boy has finally been given the chance to show off his offensive capabilities after spending much of his college career at Duke as a meat and potatoes player supporting the likes of now-NBA superstars Zion Williamson and Jayson Tatum.
It’s a refined package of outside shooting, inside grunt work and transition finishing that Phoenix wore the full brunt of.
He was everywhere in the first half, posting a career-high 17 points — including a stretch of 11 in a row for United that flipped a one-point deficit into a six-point buffer.
United would not fall behind again, as White (22pts, 6reb, 4blk) opened the second half with a pair of blocks that resulted in buckets — one to Jock Landale (16pts, 7reb, 2blk) and one to himself.
United coach Dean Vickerman said anyone who underrated White did so at their own peril.
“We just feel like he’s a little bit older than he is right now, he’s had some amazing experiences with basketball already,” Vickerman said of the 23-year-old.
“The rap on him at different times was his shot hasn’t been consistent. We’ve seen him shoot the ball so consistently in practice and we have the utmost confidence in him knocking it in.
“The way he came out and just shot the ball, really good confidence early, and got rewarded, and then you see the way he protected the rim, came up with four blocked shots as well.
“He’s helping us in a lot of areas.”
White paid tribute to the Phoenix, who have not slept in their own beds since December 31, post-game.
“Full credit to them, they’re a great team, they fought until the buzzer sounded, I was really hyped all game for us and just happy to come out with the win,” White said on the NBL broadcast.
“(It’s) Just great to be in front of fans and have the opportunity to play.”
First Phoenix had Wetzell, then they didn’t, and now they’re glad they got him, because he has performed out of his skin so far this season, called into heavy action due to the absence of injured big man Dane Pineau.
With superstar Mitch Creek (13pts, 9reb, 7ast) hampered by an ankle injury suffered against the Perth Wildcats on Saturday, Kiwi big man Wetzell (17pts, 7 rebs) and Sykes (24pts, 7ast) kept Phoenix in the game, but United proved too good when the whips were cracking.
Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell tabbed the 24-year-old Kiwi as an NBA hope.
“There’s unbelievable room for growth with Yanni, I think he’s an exceptionally gifted kid,” Mitchell said.
“He’s one of those kids like your Will Magnays and Jock Landales who will get a look over in the NBA at some stage. He’s a lovely kid and I hope it happens.”
Mitchell said he was proud of his charges, who put the clamps on Hopson and limited Landale and Goulding (19pts) early.
“I felt like by designing a way to win, you’re also strategising a way to lose, and that’s what came today — we wanted those guys to beat us and they did,” Mitchell said.
“At the end of the day they’re a very talented team and you’ve got to try to restrict the effectiveness of the blue chip guys and I thought we were able to do that.”
Undefeated United pack their bags for Brisbane Thursday, while Phoenix finally get to sleep in their own beds after 30 days on the road, before hosting the rejuvenated Hawks Sunday.
SCOTTY HOPS-OFF
United’s depth is the envy of the NBL — and they need it, because the Monstars seem to have stolen the powers of highly-rated import Hopson, who laid an egg on eight shots without a make. Hopson was a superstar in New Zealand last season and made the All-NBL Second Team. The way he’s playing at the moment, he’d struggle to make United’s second team.
ROAD WARRIORS
Phoenix was hurried off to Tasmania on January 1 due to fears over Melbourne’s COVID-19 issues and they haven’t been home since. They opened the season with two games in Adelaide — one a taxing double-overtime thriller — and followed that up with two games in Perth.
They arrived in Melbourne after midnight on game day after a four-hour layover in Adelaide and headed straight for Bendigo. Reckon the boys will be ready for some home cooking.
WELCOME BACK
The latest incarnation of the Throwdown was the first NBL game in Victoria for 335 days — March 2, 2020. United fans will remember that NBL semi-final clash fondly, their side defeated the Sydney Kings by a 40-minute-era record 45 points. It was the first game for NBL points in Bendigo since 2003.
Originally published as NBL21: Melbourne United defeats South East Melbourne Phoenix in Bendigo
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