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Melbourne United coach Dean Vickerman last night hailed the NBL champions’ willingness to stick fat and grind out a win despite the leg-weary NBL champion playing in spurts against Brisbane Bullets.
The Bullets matched motors with Melbourne for three and a half quarters before United pinched the match-winning break at Melbourne Arena less than 48 hours after edging out New Zealand Breakers in Invercargill.
United, who scrambled for every point and rebound, capitalised on Bullets’ blunders also, scoring 26 points from 15 turnovers.
“To hold them to 19 points in that fourth, with the firepower that they had and the way they were shooting the basketball, it could easily had been a 30-point quarter.
“I thought we were locked in and especially in some transition moments where they had fast break opportunities, I thought we scrambled well.”
United captain Chris Goulding was prolific in reduced minutes off the bench, scoring six of his 16 points in the last four minutes.
Goulding has endured an interrupted campaign with knee and eye issues but Vickerman appeared open to persisting with a fluid starting line-up.
“It’s a great luxury to have right now,” Vickerman said.
“I thought last year I made a mistake in just throwing him straight back in when he came back off appendicitis and so I really wanted to make a change this year and just ease him back in.”
United converted 12 of 12 free throws in the last quarter alone, with Goulding bagging four of his own.
But Goulding is keen to build on the minutes after the upcoming international blackout, which he plans to use to get back to full fitness.
“It’s been a bit of rough month or so for me just with lack of training time … but at the moment we’re winning and everyone is having a lot of fun playing together so if that’s (bench role) what needs to be done, (then) that’s what needs to be done.”
United’s next assignment, on Saturday against Andrew Bogut’s Sydney Kings, looks set to be another sell-out, with less than 1500 tickets remaining for the clash at Melbourne Arena.
The Bullets matched motors with Melbourne for three and a half quarters before United pinched the match-winning break at Melbourne Arena less than 48 hours after edging out New Zealand Breakers in Invercargill.
United, who scrambled for every point and rebound, capitalised on Bullets’ blunders also, scoring 26 points from 15 turnovers.
“To hold them to 19 points in that fourth, with the firepower that they had and the way they were shooting the basketball, it could easily had been a 30-point quarter.
“I thought we were locked in and especially in some transition moments where they had fast break opportunities, I thought we scrambled well.”
United captain Chris Goulding was prolific in reduced minutes off the bench, scoring six of his 16 points in the last four minutes.
Goulding has endured an interrupted campaign with knee and eye issues but Vickerman appeared open to persisting with a fluid starting line-up.
“It’s a great luxury to have right now,” Vickerman said.
“I thought last year I made a mistake in just throwing him straight back in when he came back off appendicitis and so I really wanted to make a change this year and just ease him back in.”
United converted 12 of 12 free throws in the last quarter alone, with Goulding bagging four of his own.
But Goulding is keen to build on the minutes after the upcoming international blackout, which he plans to use to get back to full fitness.
“It’s been a bit of rough month or so for me just with lack of training time … but at the moment we’re winning and everyone is having a lot of fun playing together so if that’s (bench role) what needs to be done, (then) that’s what needs to be done.”
United’s next assignment, on Saturday against Andrew Bogut’s Sydney Kings, looks set to be another sell-out, with less than 1500 tickets remaining for the clash at Melbourne Arena.