THE FINAL preparations for the National Basketball League (NBL)’s 2025/26 season took place over the weekend, with Melbourne United claiming a 16-point preseason win over the Brisbane Bullets.
With the regular season fixture set to begin later this week, the final preseason clashes were held in recent days, with teams providing one last glimpse into what they may produce in the coming months. The championship race wide open for the upcoming season, and the preseason outings were certainly reflecting that.
The two sides locked horns up north at the University of Sunshine Coast on Friday night, and having both enjoyed active offseasons, were looking to get the final touches in on their preparations ahead of massive campaigns.
It ended up being a contest defined by the first quarter, with United jumping out to a hefty lead and never looking back en route to a 16-point triumph in their final outing before the real thing begins this week.
Brisbane Bullets (92) def. by Melbourne United (108)
It was as emphatic a start as United could have asked for in the opening minutes of the game, scoring the first 10 points of the match and finding ascendancy finishing inside the paint. United were able to put the pressure on Brisbane’s bigs and score consistently on the drive, and the Bullets simply could not keep up. Although the home side tried to answer from long range, it was an inside scoring clinic from Melbourne that resulted in a 19-point buffer at the first change.
As expected Brisbane was able to adjust at quarter time, and looked much improved in the second frame, rotating over to contest more shots at the rim which slowed down United’s offence. However, despite their best efforts, the Bullets simply struggled to make enough of a dent in the margin, and at half-time, the deficit still stood at 15 points.
The third quarter was a tightly contested affair with plenty of momentum swings coming out of half time as the sides made adjustments. Melbourne’s lead surpassed 20 points at one stage before the Bullets brought it back with some nice three-point shooting and successful trips to the free throw line. The lead still stood at 16 points at the final change however, with Melbourne’s starters doing most of the damage.
In an extremely high-scoring finish to the match, both United and the Bullets found their offensive groove in the final frame, with some elite shotmaking on display. Although Brisbane tried to pull off the comeback, it simply could not slow down the scoring power of United, who cruised home to a comfortable victory in the end.
Melbourne’s star power looks set to be a defining feature in its 2025/26 campaign, with four of the five starters scoring 13 or more points in the win over Brisbane. Big man Jesse Edwards was the leading scorer despite not being known for his offensive impact, finishing with a big double-double of 17 points and 10 boards as an inside threat.
Star recruit Milton Doyle and Tanner Krebs each finished with 16 points, while fellow addition Finn Delany was impactful himself with 13 points as United got contributions from some of their biggest names in a promising sign.
All five starters for Brisbane finished with double-digits in the points column, with Casey Prather leading the way with 17 points, while former NBL MVP Jaylen Adams was productive with 10 points and seven assists.