United get needed Boxing Day Cairns win

Melbourne United did have a 20-point first half lead but had to dig deep late to overcome the Cairns Taipans as they snapped a four-game losing streak with the 76-66 Boxing Day win.

United arrived at Cairns Convention Centre still in second spot in the NBL despite having lost four in-a-row as they took on a Taipans team in last place and having lost 13 straight.

Melbourne's 20-point lead was back to four early in the fourth quarter, but their leaders stepped up including Jack White (14 points, eight rebounds) and Marcus Lee (eight points, nine boards) pushing the lead back out to nine for the eventual 10-point win.

Melbourne closed the first quarter with a 14-1 scoring run to lead by 12 after one and that advantage grew to 20 in the second period, and was still 46-29 at the half.

The Snakes were on a 13-game losing streak and staring down the barrel of a 14th, but nobody told them that and it was first-year import centre Tanner Groves who brought them right back into the contest.

Most of his teammates might have been struggling to shoot, but the bearded big man scored the first seven points of the second half. By the time Kyle Adnam (12 points) made the first two buckets of the fourth term, suddenly it was just a four-point game.

It was now Melbourne needing to deep to avoid starting their seven-game road stretch with a fifth consecutive loss, and by scoring the next five points they took back control.

The win improves United to a 13-8 record to stay in second spot despite only scoring the 76 points with 39 per cent shooting and just 7/38 from three-point territory.

They did have 58 rebounds to 30 to end up taking 11 extra shots with Chris Goulding finishing with 19 points and five rebounds, Ian Clark 12 points, and Matthew Dellavedova seven points and six assists.

United coach Dean Vickerman was relieved to finish 2024 with the win following the four losses.

"It definitely feels better to finish the year getting a win and there's been some things that we've wanted to continue to get better at," he said.

"The way we rebounded the ball the other night against Tasmania and repeated that one again that's an area that we've made good improvements on the last couple of weeks.

"Holding any team on their home floor to 66 is a good effort so we've really picked it up at that end."

Cairns remains last having lost 14 straight at 3-15 on a rough offensive night going 34 per cent from the field and 9/32 from three with Taran Armstrong and Rob Edwards combining for 10 points on 3/21 shooting.

Groves was a shining light with 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

"We just really struggled to score and Melbourne probably are sitting there saying the same thing too with getting some good looks they felt could have dropped," said Taipans coach Adam Forde.

"The fact that we brought it back from 20 down in such a grindy game like it was I'll continue to give the boys credit for continuing to compete and fight."

Melbourne arrived in Far North Queensland looking to snap a four-game losing slide and scored the first four points having inserted Marcus Lee into the starting line-up.

However, the Snakes started well looking to avoid their own 14th consecutive defeat with the home team leading 12-11, but United took over from there closing the first quarter with 14 of the last 15 points.

That saw Melbourne go into the quarter-time break leading 25-13 including Chris Goulding knocking down three three-point bombs before United went on another 12-3 scoring run in the second period.

That saw Melbourne blow the lead out to as much as 20 points and to be leading 46-29 by the half despite only going 4/23 from three-point range.

However, United did have 12 offensive rebounds for 11 second chance points while the Snakes had just the 29 points on 31 per cent shooting and just the 4/15 from downtown.

Cairns did come out firing to start the second half with Tanner Groves the instigator with his own 7-0 scoring run.

Melbourne took almost a full four minutes to make their first field goal of the half and the Taipan had done well to stick around by three quarter-time to cut the United lead to 59-51.

The Snakes were then back within four to start the final frame thanks to a couple of buckets to Kyle Adnam, but Melbourne responded firstly through Lee and then with a triple to Jack White to push the lead back out to nine.

The Taipans did keep on battling and United never could completely put them away, but they did enough to secure the 10-point win to avoid ending 2024 on a five-game losing skid.

The Taipans remain at home to host the also struggling New Zealand Breakers on New Year's Eve while United continue their road stretch by playing the Adelaide 36ers next Saturday night.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2024/25

CAIRNS TAIPANS 66 (Groves 20, Adnam 12, Waardenburg 7)

MELBOURNE UNITED 76 (Goulding 19, White 14, Clark 12)

BOX SCORE