Breakers' Play-In hopes take a hit with loss to United

An understandably tired looking New Zealand Breakers' play-in hopes have taken a hit with a 94-81 loss to ladder-leading Melbourne United at John Cain Arena.

The Breakers boosted their hopes of a top six finish with a narrow win at home to the Illawarra Hawks on Friday, but it was always going to be a challenge less than 48 hours facing the league-leaders on their home floor who were fresh.

You couldn't fault the Breakers' fight, but the combination of United being fresh and the depth and quality they possess proved too much as Melbourne won by 13 points to maintain control of top spot.

The Breakers have been bucking the odds all season without being fully healthy at any point with season-ending injuries along the way to Justinian Jessup and now Anthony Lamb with Zylan Cheatham, Will McDowell-White, Finn Delany and Mantas Rubstavicius missing significant time.

However, last season's runners-up have still put themselves in a position to make the top six ahead of hosting the Brisbane Bullets on Friday and then being on the road to the out of contention Adelaide 36ers in the final game of the regular seaon.

Meanwhile, Melbourne took another step towards securing the regular season championship improving to a 19-7 record and just needing to win one game next week to secure top position - away to Cairns and at home to Illawarra.

A shrewd offensive play from NBA championship winner and bronze medal winning Olympian Matthew Dellavedova (12 points, four assists) tilted a close game towards United midway through the second quarter.

As he charged through the paint en route to the basket, Dellavedova was called for an offensive foul on Will McDowell-White (season-high 19 points), who had been the Breakers' danger man to that point.

But when the call was flipped by a United coach's challenge, McDowell-White picked up a third foul and went to the bench.

The talismanic McDowell-White missed the final six-and-a-half minutes of the quarter, during which United scored 19 points.

Ian Clark (18 points, four rebounds) and Chris Goulding (10 points) each hit three-pointers in the final minute of the second quarter amid a 15-5 run for United.

Having won the quarter 28-17, the hosts took a 55-39 lead into the main change and led by double digits for the rest of the game.

The Breakers' 10-2 run to begin the fourth helped cut the 23-point three quarter-time deficit to 10 in the final two minutes.

United centre Jo Lual-Acuil was important late, with 15 of his 19 points coming in the second half, and pulled down 11 rebounds to confirm a double-double.

Fading late, the hosts were handed a technical foul for accidentally having six players on the court, but Izayah Le'afa missed the ensuing free throw for the Breakers.

Dynamic guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright continued his scintilating form for the visitors with 24 points but became one of three Breakers to foul out late on a tough afternoon.

Once again New Zealand was on the wrong end of the whistle with Melbourne getting to the line 26 times, making 16. The Breakers were also their own worst enemy shooting 6-of-17.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 19

MELBOURNE UNITED 94 (Lual-Acuil Jr 19, Clark 18, Ili 12, Dellavedova 12)

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 81 (Jackson-Cartwright 24, McDowell-White 19, Mathiang 17)

BOX SCORE