A war of words erupted between the coaches pre-game, setting the scene for a spicy game 1, but it was Melbourne United who got on with the task at hand, cruising to a one-game lead over Tasmania JackJumpers in the best-of-five NBL Championship Series.
United centre Jo Lual-Acuil Jr stamped his authority on the series opener, dominating on both ends of the floor as United ran out 104-81 winners at John Cain Arena on Sunday.
Lual-Acuil Jr finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in a dominant display.
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United were dominant on the boards, out-rebounding the visitors 50-36.
When Lual-Acuil Jr was on the bench, young star Ariel Hukporti maintained the advantage with seven points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
If Lual-Acuil Jr was Batman for United, Chris Goulding was Robin.
Sharpshooter Goulding was on fire from the outset, draining 22 points, including six three pointers.
United’s three-point shooting was a feature, going 14/28 (50%).
They defended the three-point arc well, restricting the JackJumpers to 8/18 (44%) from three.
Matthew Dellavedova’s offensive outburst in these playoffs continued with three triples in his 11 points, while NBL sixth man of the year Ian Clark was a constant threat with 18 points, including three triples.
United scored as they pleased, inside and out, with the JackJumpers offering little resistance.
Only seldom did the JackJumpers threaten, with star Milton Doyle having his moments with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Anthony Drmic fought hard with a team-high 18 points on 66% shooting.
Will Magnay was one of the star JackJumpers in their semi final series against the Wildcats, but his game 1 minutes were capped after he picked up a fourth foul early in the third quarter.
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