Top-of-the-ladder Melbourne United produced a remarkable 25-0 run as part of a 95-60 beatdown on the hapless Cairns Taipans at John Cain Arena on Sunday.
Fans were stunned when United put the foot down to score 25 unanswered points from late in the first quarter to late in the second to take total command.
It was a brutal United display with the top dogs improving to 5-0 to move two wins clear on top.
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The Taipans frustration spilt over in the second half when star forward Jack McVeigh was charged with an unsportsmanlike foul on Chris Goulding.
With the ball at mid-court, McVeigh aggressively pursued Goulding on the baseline and got the United captain flush with a shoulder charge that momentarily floored the United star.
Goulding voiced his displeasure at the treatment from McVeigh, but the officials stopped short of ejecting McVeigh.
It was an otherwise positive return from a quad injury for Goulding.
The 35-year-old was not limited in his movement, finishing with 16 points, including two threes.
He needed four threes to move into third on the NBL all-time three-point field goal shooting list.
United import Jesse Edwards is proving to be a significant upgrade at centre for United.
Edwards cruised to a double-double 16 points and 12 rebounds to leave former United big man Marcus Lee flustered.
He was a force on the offensive boards with six.
United point guard Tyson Walker, taking on extra minutes in the absence of the injured Shea Ili, looked in total control with 12 points in limited minutes, while Next Star Dash Daniels got some important reps despite early foul trouble, finishing with seven points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Dash Daniels of United drives to the basket under pressure during the round four NBL match between Melbourne United and Cairns Taipans at John Cain Arena, on October 12, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Imports flounder
It was a hellish game for Taipans imports Andrew Andrews and Admiral Schofield.
Andrews had little command over the team, committing an ugly seven turnovers to go with just 10 points and six assists.
It was even worse for Schofield, who fouled out late in the third with two points on 0/5 shooting, all attempts from three, and five turnovers.
The only positive for the Taipans was the energy of Alex Higgins-Titsha, who fought until the bitter end with a team-high 16 points
After a productive opening five minutes to hold a slender lead, it completely unravelled for the Taipans from that point on.
If the visitors were to pose a serious threat to the undefeated United, they had to find a way to hang in the game deep into the contest, but their resistance was alarmingly brittle.
Turnovers galore
The Taipans committed eight first quarter turnovers with Andrews the biggest culprit with five by half-time.
All up, the Taipans had 26 turnovers.
Their long range shooting was abysmal too, going 0/13 from three-point land in the first half, but they managed to improve to 4/27 in junk time.
United went on a 10-0 run to end the first period to hold a 27-15 lead, but it extended into a ridiculous 25-0 run as the Taipans defence was non-existent.
Incredibly, it wasn’t the three ball that was doing the damage for United in the first half, they shot just 2/14 even though there were a number of wide open looks, it was their fast breaks and penetration in the paint.
Demanding excellence
The reason why United is perfect so far is coach Dean Vickerman’s strive for excellence.
Even with a 23-point lead late in the second quarter, Vickerman was barking instructions to his team to ensure they didn’t let the lead slip.
United forward Tanner Krebs provided the would-be highlight of the game, connecting on a heave from mid-court, but it didn’t count as time had elapsed.
It was probably the only thing that went wrong for United on an otherwise flawless day at the office.
NBL SCOREBOARD
Melbourne United 95 (Goulding 16 Edwards 16 Walker 12) d Cairns Taipans 60 (Higgins-Titsha 16 Andrews 10).
At John Cain Arena, Melbourne.
Wildcats take out thriller over Taipans | 00:59
PHOENIX SOAR LATE TO BREAK KIWI HEARTS
South East Melbourne Phoenix overcame a disastrous second quarter to mow down bottom-of-the-ladder New Zealand Breakers 87-81 and secure their first ever win at Spark Arena in Auckland on Sunday.
The Phoenix came out of half time staring down a hefty 12-point deficit after an insipid second period where they were out-scored 31-13 and wiped out the deficit in two-and-a-half minutes of mayhem where they hit four three pointers to change the course of the game.
Aggressive young point guard Owen Foxwell emerged as the much-needed second scorer behind Nathan Sobey to give Phoenix a boost in the second half.
Foxwell took charge with a team-high 19 points and seven assists to steer the Phoenix to victory.
But the biggest feather in Foxwell’s cap was his defence, limiting dangerous Breakers point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright to just nine points.
“It feels great,” Foxwell said of the win.
“I think the last two weeks have been really good for us as a group to kind of jell together and kind of get to know how we all want to play.
“Obviously we faced a bit of adversity, so it was great to see us come out on top.”
Phoenix captain Nathan Sobey was inspirational with 18 points and seven assists, while defensive maestro John Brown III and Next Star Malique Lewis scored 13 apiece.
36ers off to 25 year first hot start | 00:45
Despite the win, the search for consistency on both ends of the floor goes on for Phoenix.
It was another patchwork quilt performance that at times frustrated coach Josh King, however he will be thrilled with the tremendous spirit in the team to fight back from a tough position.
The answer to Phoenix’s consistency issues might be found in the arrival of new recruit Wes Iwundu, a small forward with substantial NBA experience with Orlando Magic, who is likely to make his NBL debut against Bryce Cotton and the Adelaide 36ers on Thursday night.
While Phoenix improved to 2-1, the Breakers are now 1-5 and the pressure is mounting after they failed to take advantage of Sam Mennenga’s 29-point, 11-rebound game.
Mennanga threatened to take the game away from Phoenix with his aggression inside the paint, but Phoenix found a way to quell his influence down the stretch with Brown III’s defence proving critical.
Sizzling Sobey
An enthusiastic Sobey sparked a hot start for Phoenix.
The combo guard was on fire with nine of his side’s first 13 points as travelling Phoenix went to quarter time with a healthy 21-15 lead.
It seemed as though the Phoenix immediately addressed concerns stemming from King’s evaluations of recent games against Melbourne United and New Orleans Pelicans, fronting up physically, limiting turnovers and bringing the energy defensively.
In contrast, the Breakers came out flat, committing eight first period turnovers.
If there was a ray of light for the Breakers, it came through Jackson-Cartwright, who looked dangerous, fresh off a spectacular 20-point, 17-assist game against defending champions Illawarra Hawks mid-week.
Jackson-Cartwright used his speed to do as he pleased, penetrating the heart of the Phoenix defence and getting the match back on the Breakers terms.
With Phoenix struggling to find a reliable scorer outside of Sobey’s 14 points in the first half, the Breakers turned the momentum.
After being spectacularly denied by a Jordan Hunter block at the highest point of a dunk attempt, Breakers forward Rob Baker II stepped beyond the arc to hit two huge three pointers.
It was raining threes in the second for the Breakers with Izayah Le’Afa and Mennenga also connecting from long range.
Sam’s the man
Mennanga’s brute strength inside, leading to 15 first half points, had the Breakers in command with a 46-34 half time lead.
King was understandably fuming on the sidelines when he called a time out to draw up what should have been an end of quarter play, only for DJ Mitchell to get trapped at mid-court, turn the ball over and commit an unsportsmanlike foul on Max Darling.
To make matters worse, the Phoenix had one more chance before half time, only for guard Angus Glover to be charged with an offensive foul and cap off a nightmare second quarter.
Four triples after half time, two from Foxwell and one each to Lewis and Glover, had the game on level terms, but the Breakers steadied again with Mennenga continuing his domination inside to lead 65-62 at three quarter time.
Owen clamps PJC
Then Foxwell turned the screws on Jackson-Cartwright and the complexion of the game changed.
When Lewis banked in a three to put Phoenix up five with 1.39 to go, the Phoenix rode their confidence to victory as the Breakers offence imploded.
NBL SCOREBOARD
New Zealand Breakers 81 (Mennenga 29 Baker II 14 Jackson-Cartwright 9) lt South East Melbourne Phoenix 87 (Foxwell 19 Sobey 18 Brown III 13 Lewis 13)
At Spark Arena, Auckland.