Sport
4 March, 2025
Matthew Dellavedova’s Melbourne United face win or go home game three
Matthew Dellavedova and Melbourne United are facing a do-or-die elimination game tonight against the Perth Wildcats with a shot in the NBL Grand Final on the line.
The winner of tonight’s game three will face either the South East Melbourne Phoenix or the Illawarra Hawks for a chance at ultimate glory, while the loser will have to watch the season finale on the sidelines.
Melbourne United started the series strongly at John Cain Arena on Thursday, winning game one 105-93 to put them one win away from advancing.
Dellavedova’s opening assist for a Chris Goulding three set the tone for the contest as Goulding caught fire from downtown, hitting 10 threes including five in the fourth quarter to allow United to pull away late as he ended on 41 points.
Dellavedova heavily contributed to United’s hot start, scoring four of United’s first nine points inside the opening four minutes.
Dellavedova made the majority of his impact when setting up his teammates, dishing out a game-leading nine assists including a beautiful lob to Marcus Lee in the fourth while also grabbing five rebounds throughout the contest.
Melbourne United looked to channel their game one momentum into Saturday at RAC Arena for game two.
Similar to game one, Dellavedova was ready right from tip-off, actively involved in United’s first 13 points with four assists and a bucket inside four minutes as United came out of the blocks quickly with a 16-4 run.
A Dellavedova lob to Lee punctuated a remarkable first quarter for United, with the lead standing at 15 points going into the first break.
United kept the Wildcats at an arm’s distance throughout the second quarter, heading into halftime with a 14-point advantage before the Wildcats started to claw their way back into the game.
While Dellavedova tried his best with two crucial buckets and a key steal to cut the margin to two with two minutes to play, the Wildcats completed a stunning comeback, taking the lead with just over four minutes to play and never relinquishing it, victorious 96-89.
Dellavedova nearly registered a triple-double in the defeat, scoring 13 points and once again registering a leading 12 assists while also grabbing the most rebounds for United with eight.
United will need to regroup quickly if they want to make consecutive grand final appearances, with game three on tonight at John Cain Arena from 7.30 pm.