SUMMARY
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MANILA, Philippines – Melbourne United strengthened their 2023 NBL playoff contention bid at the expense of the Adelaide 36ers’ own title hopes in a crucial 116-107 home win on Sunday, February 5.
In a must-win situation for both sides, Melbourne rose to a 15-13 record in the sixth and final play-in seed while Adelaide barely missed the cut, dropping to eighth at 13-15.
Kai Sotto practically got reduced to a spectator in the crucial tiff as he lost his starting spot and only played 1 minute and 45 seconds, recording 1 rebound, 2 fouls, and 1 turnover in the first quarter, and never returned.
Former NBA player Rayjon Tucker led the all-important win with 31 points on 11-of-21 shooting, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Australian national team member Chris Goulding added 23 points on a 5-of-13 clip from three.
Off a 102-all deadlock in the final 2:20 of regulation, Goulding drilled a clutch three with 1:40 left, 105-102, before Tucker soared in for a layup at the 40-second mark to mount a 107-103 lead right after Adelaide’s Sunday Dech split his free throws.
Dech scored two more with 34 ticks left to get within 2, 105-107, but the 36ers’ top scorer Antonius Cleveland hacked Xavier Rathan-Mayes for an and-one conversion and a 110-105 lead with just 16 seconds to play to all but seal the deal.
Cleveland paced the Sixers in a heartbreaking end to their playoff bid with 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting and 5-of-7 from deep, while Dech sparked the bench with 20 points in as many minutes.
Top-ranked Sydney (20-8), meanwhile, also eliminated seventh-place Perth (14-14) from the running in a simultaneous game to the Melbourne-Adelaide affair.
The Scores
Melbourne 116 – Tucker 31, Goulding 23, Rathan-Mayes 21, Humphries 11, Peatling 9, Newley 9, Lee 8, Barker 4, Maluach 0, Okwera 0.
Adelaide 107 – Cleveland 30, Dech 20, Clark 14, Franks 13, Johnson 10, McCarron 7, Drmic 7, Galloway 3, Harris 3, Sotto 0.
Quarters: 27-27, 56-57, 87-80, 116-107.
– Rappler.com
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