Delly masterclass nets Uniteds sixth win in a row

A vintage display from guard Matthew Dellavedova led Melbourne United to their sixth straight win in a tense clash with fellow title aspirants the Illawarra Hawks at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong on Sunday afternoon.

The 31-year-old, who won an NBA title with the Cavaliers in 2016 and made his name from his physicality and hustle plays on both ends of the floor in the best competition in the world, wound back the clock to pour in 33 points – including 7-11 from three – as the visiting United eked out a gritty 88-84 win.

Matthew Dellavedova was the difference-maker in an enthralling clash with the Hawks.Credit:Getty Images

Dellavedova’s leadership shone from the start of the contest. Not only did he step up in the big moments to nail a series of long-range threes, he led both teams in assists – finishing with nine for the game as he consistently found his teammates in positions to score.

In a sign of just how impressive his display was, Dellavedova entered the clash with season averages of just eight points per game on just 32 per cent from the floor.

He would finish this clash with 61 per cent shooting – including an astonishing 63 per cent from deep.

While the likes of star captain Chris Goulding (nine points on just 3-11 from the floor) and Caleb Agada (13 points on 4-15) struggled from the field, forward Jack White (14 points and 11 boards) and big man Jo Lual-Acuil (11 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks) made their presence felt.

Lual-Acuil, White, and Agada were beasts on the boards – particularly at the offensive end, generating plenty of extra looks for the visitors.

As both teams looked to push the ball in transition in the early going – looking for shots at the rim – they both found their range from deep as the contest progressed.

Justinian Jessup and reserve big man Harry Froling led the way in that regard for the Hawks, shooting a combined 9-12 from beyond the arc.

While United led by just two points after the first quarter, 22-20, and the margin never seriously got away from the Hawks, they were let down by ill-discipline at key stages – such as costly turnovers leading to easy United baskets in transition, and poor focus on boxing out from, of all things, missed free-throws late in the game.

Froling’s confidence continued to grow throughout the game, providing the Hawks with a real point of difference, but the combination of Dellavedova’s scoring and play-making ability set the visitors apart.

Following the game, Australian basketball icon Chris Anstey posted on Twitter about Dellavedova “unlearning” what made him such an impact player in the NBA, and instead having the confidence to show his scoring prowess in the NBL.

“Luc Longley said perfectly in Australian Story that he was still unlearning what it was to be an NBA player,” Anstey said.

“Today, in Illawarra, Matthew Dellavedova did a lot of on-court unlearning of what made his NBA career so successful, and reminded plenty of people how good he really is.”

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