What could’ve been an incredible Bullets comeback fell agonisingly short on Saturday when Melbourne United continued its stretch of dominance with a thrilling win at the BEC.
United won 92-87 to make it 16 from its last 17 against Brisbane and take absurd winning form at the BEC beyond six years in a wild record in the river city.
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It was the game that had everything and the class, composure and clutch genes of the Melbourne players reigned supreme after the hosts had miraculously returned from as many as 17 down to be up 86-82 late in the fourth.
But just when Brisbane looked like stealing the match, Melbourne went on a defining 10-1 run to put the misfiring Bullets to bed.
United had the upper hand all game long. A 59-45 half time lead and a 80-71 advantage entering the fourth looked set in stone until Brisbane came from the clouds, courtesy of a Tyrell Harrison barrage, and looked capable of pulling off mission impossible.
Not even a monster double double from Harrison (23pts, 10rbs, 3blks) could lift Brisbane to its first home win over the second-placed United since December, 2019.
United won the game of runs. Early in the contest they turned a 31-30 lead into a 45-30 buffer.
Again, a 7-nil Brisbane run turned a 16-point deficit into nine in the third, only for United to stiff-arm the hosts and burst clear in the final five minutes.
Indeed Brisbane went on a 5-nil run to end the third and an 8-2 run to start the fourth to be down 82-77 and then ahead 86-82 with four minutes left.
United had answers when it mattered.
HARRISON DELIVERS, AGAIN
Bullets big man Tyrell Harrison had himself a night in his best ever season in blue.
It was an all you can eat buffet for the Kiwi centre who had 21 points to his name entering the fourth and his 9-11 shooting form was just as good as his ability to create his own buckets in the paint.
When he shoved Jesse Edwards out of the way and punched a dunk home with two hands, Harrison made his statement. On the other end, when swatting away two shots, Harrison’s powerhouse presence was at an all-time high.
To end the third, the big man sunk his first three of the season to beat the buzzer and spark more life back into an invigorated Bullets outfit clearly playing better basketball since Stu Lash’s exit.
Harrison’s cracking performance was essential because United forward Kyle Bowen was quietly having his best professional outing.
In his first start of the year, Bowen brained it with two threes, two slam dunks, 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Whenever he was on, his energy provided a big lift.
When Brisbane made its fourth quarter run, it was Bowen whose colossal offensive rebound created a Tanner Krebbs three that made it 91-86 after the Bullets had snatched its first lead at 86-82.
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WALKER WALKS BRIZZY DOWN
Electric United guard Tyson Walker was prominent and lit the fire within his side to turn a slender 28-26 quarter-time lead into a hefty 59-45 lead at the half.
Brisbane had showed tremendous fight sticking with the competition heavyweights but like a car hitting a flat tire, the hosts succumbed to a 14-0 run and trailed by as many as 17 before pulling it back at the end of the second and third.
The menacing Walker was the main man piling on the hurt. He scored 13 points and grabbed four steals (in the first half) as the stealthy speedster hurt Brisbane in transition and with his plucky defence.
His second quarter blitz, which sparked United’s biggest scoring quarter of the season with 31, followed a gangbusting opening by Chris Goulding. Goulding had been struggling to find his form from deep but after knocking down his first three-point attempt, the timeless veteran finished the half with 17 points on 5-6 shooting.
Goulding’s four threes contributed to United’s superior deep-shooting performance (10-22 compared to Brisbane’s 7-28).