Musashi Match Report: Phoenix Fall in Game One

South East Melbourne Phoenix's debut NBL Finals contest didn't play out the way the team planned, succumbing 96-78 to a red-hot Melbourne United.

Melbourne was the dominant team during the regular season finishing with a 28-8 to claim the regular season championship to be three games clear in top spot, and they showed exactly why on Friday night.

The semi-final Throwdown series will all be played at Qudos Bank Arena without crowds thanks to the lockdown in Melbourne, and Phoenix fans will hope to find some joy on the couch in Game Two on Sunday.

"I thought we just lacked that physicality and we were just a step slow," Kyle Adnam said post-game.

"We've got two more games to rectify that and by all means our heads are going to be held high moving into these next two. We've got to move past it."

Phoenix Coach Simon Mitchell has implored his team to keep the faith.

"We use every game as an opportunity to get better at the things that need work and an opportunity to get better at the things we do well as well," Mitchell said.

"We'll take some things from that game that I was unhappy with and we'll work on those.

"These guys (United) blew Sydney out last year (in the Semi-Finals) by 60-odd and lost the series so it's never over until it's over."

Not only was the United offence on fire with Jock Landale on his way to 26 points and Scotty Hopson 22, but defensively they stifled the Phoenix completely forcing them into 18 turnovers for the night.

A 16-0 run during the third quarter sealed the win once and for all for United before winning by 18 to claim the Game 1 in the most emphatic fashion to be one win away from another Grand Final appearance.

Even though the Phoenix made an early 7-0 run to lead 8-3, Melbourne quickly took over the Game 1 starting with a Sam McDaniel three-pointer

Mason Peatling and Jock Landale then scored at will inside and with the Phoenix turning the ball over five times in the opening quarter, Melbourne led 26-20 by quarter-time wit Scotty Hopson coming on to score seven quick points.

Landale then got United going to start the second with five quick points and then it became party time. Chris Goulding hit three triples during the second term, Hopson was unstoppable with two bombs of his own and Landale was on his way to 16 points for the half.

South East Melbourne had another five turnovers for the quarter and with Melbourne shooting 57 per cent from the field and hitting 9/16 from beyond the arc, they dominated to a 58-38 half-time edge.

A couple of Ryan Broekhoff threes to start the second half saw the Phoenix threaten a fightback, but it wouldn’t last.

Landale added another seven points quickly and then Melbourne dominated in remarkable fashion at both ends holding the Phoenix scoreless for more than three minutes while scoring 16 consecutive points to be up 85-54 by three quarter-time.

The Phoenix did go on to win the final quarter 24 points to 11 but it mattered little with Melbourne winning by 18 and now having the chance back at the same venue on Sunday with the chance to move straight into the Grand Final.

Ben Moore led the scoring for his side with 17 points, including a strong nine-point first quarter to keep the Phoenix in the game early.

Mitch Creek (15) and Keifer Sykes (12) also scored in double figures. Creek scored his 3000th NBL point to begin the fourth quarter.

The Phoenix have shown the ability to bounce back from disapointing defeats all season, setting up a huge Sunday afternoon Game Two.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL FINALS 2021
SEMI FINALS GAME 1

MELBOURNE UNITED 96 (Landale 26, Hopson 22, Goulding 9, Ili 9, Lual-Acuil 9)

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 78 (Moore 17, Creek 15, Sykes 12) 

Phoenix Media (11/06/2021)