Melbourne United falls agonisingly short of making NBA v NBL history

MELBOURNE United led for long stretches and had a chance to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder but, in the end, just one point stood between the NBL club and history. RE-LIVE THE GAME

THEY were sledged and out skilled at stages, but Melbourne proved the NBL can go toe-to-toe on the NBA stage with a colossus performance against a star-studded Oklahoma City Thunder this morning.

A day after Thunder guard Russell Westbrook said he “ain’t expecting s**t” from United, Dean Vickerman’s men responded in style to go within one basket of causing a major basketball boilover. PROUD: HOW NO ‘S**T’ UNITED, NBL, CAPTIVATED AUSTRALIA SCROLL DOWN TO REPLAY ALL THE ACTION FROM OUR LIVE BLOG BELOW Melbourne centre Josh Boone had a layup to put United ahead with five seconds remaining, but he was blocked by Thunder swingman Josh Huestis. United retained the ball after it spilled out of bounds and Heustis was again the unlikely saviour for the Thunder when he blocked Casey Prather’s potential game-winning driving layup as time expired, giving the NBA powerhouse an 86-85 win. Regardless of the result, United’s gutsy display is a testament to the growing strength of the NBL competition. Melbourne’s roster collectively earns close to (US)$133 million less than OKC’s loaded team, but they showed you can’t buy spirit and effort. Sure, United lost, but they traded blows with All-Stars Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George for the entire game. Melbourne led by three points at quarter time and were in front in the early stages of the third and midway through the fourth, before the Thunder scrapped their way to a hard-fought victory. In an ultimate testament to United’s resolve, their refusal to go away frustrated the Thunder and forced them to pull out their A-game to seal the win, with the three stars logging heavy minutes. Melbourne guard Casper Ware was the game’s standout performer. Ware is diminutive in stature, but he played beyond his size to deliver a sizzling display at both ends of the floor. The former Philadelphia 76er and Brooklyn Net showcased his skills, finishing with 20 points. He also did a sensational job guarding Thunder megastar Westbrook, restricting him to nine points. Ware believes Melbourne’s effort against the odds versus OKC will help put the Australian league on the basketball map. “People probably didn’t know a lot about the NBL, but now they might say, ‘hey, they’ve got some good players over there’,” Ware said. “That’s the biggest thing we wanted to do was show them that this league is no joke. “We’ve got players in Australia as well. “I really wanted to win, but getting so close with players like that on the Thunder team, it felt good.” 'Show the quality of the NBL' Boone was brilliant for Melbourne. The ex-New Jersey Net, who was the 23rd overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft, finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. Star import Casey Prather contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds, while forward Tai Wesley dropped 13 points. To be fair, though, every Melbourne player deserves praise for their contribution to a memorable game. United coach Dean Vickerman was rapt with his team’s display in defeat. “It was pretty competitive what they (OKC) gave us and for us to stand up and have a shot at winning was amazing,” Vickerman beamed. “We just want to test ourselves. “We talked about playing some of the big European teams at the start of the year. “Now to have the opportunity to play one of the best teams in the world and to know our league can challenge, it goes a lot for our reputation.” With a number of NBA scouts watching on, Vickerman knows some of his stars like Ware, Prather and Boone could attract interest. But the former championship-winning Breakers coach insists he isn’t worried. “Because that was part of what this game was about,” he said. “It was about those guys showing that they believe they belong at a higher level. “Casper, Josh and a number of other players proved they can certainly play at this level.” Oklahoma City were far from perfect, especially in offence, but they were happy to praise Melbourne for their resolute performance post-game. “They did a good job,” Westbrook told reporters before joining some travelling United fans for photographs and signatures.

Originally published as Melbourne United falls agonisingly short of making NBA v NBL history

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