United Eye Home Comforts in NBL Championship Showdown
Alright, basketball fans, let's talk about the NBL championship series! Melbourne United have taken the first step toward glory with a huge win over the Illawarra Hawks in Game One. And let me tell you, it was a thriller! Chris Goulding and Matthew Dellavedova were absolute clutch in the final quarter, dropping 19 points combined to lead United to a 96-88 victory in Wollongong. Now, with Game Two shifting to Melbourne, the pressure is all on the Hawks to make history and keep their championship hopes alive.
Now, here’s the deal—no team in NBL history has ever lost the first two games of a best-of-five championship series and gone on to win the title. That stat alone puts the Hawks in a do-or-die situation. If they want to keep their dream alive, they need to come out swinging on United’s home court at John Cain Arena. But let’s not forget, Melbourne United are a different beast at home. They’ve won their last four games at John Cain and five of their last six against the Hawks there. So, yeah, the numbers are stacked against Illawarra.
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United coach Dean Vickerman knows just how big that Game One win was, especially considering how tough it is to win on the road in the playoffs. He’s made it clear—while they’re happy with the win, it won’t mean anything if they don’t capitalize at home. And you can bet they’ll be looking to do just that. But Vickerman also hasn’t forgotten last year, when United won Game One of the championship series only to lose three of the next four and watch Tasmania lift the trophy. They don’t want history to repeat itself.
On the other side, Hawks coach Justin Tatum is staying confident despite the odds. He believes his team has what it takes to bounce back, much like they did after their semifinal loss to South East Melbourne. Tatum has been pushing his squad to embrace the physicality of finals basketball and make key adjustments—especially on the boards, where United dominated in Game One. The Hawks were out-rebounded badly, giving up 22 second-chance points off 17 offensive rebounds. If they want to steal Game Two, they have to be sharper on both ends of the floor.
And let’s talk about Illawarra’s star duo—Tyler Harvey and Trey Kell III. These two were named in the All-NBL First Team, but in Game One? They struggled. Harvey and Kell combined for just 15 points on 7-of-21 shooting, and that’s just not going to cut it. History shows that when Harvey scores 20 or more points, the Hawks tend to win. So, if Illawarra wants to keep this series alive, they need their stars to shine on the big stage.
There’s also an interesting trend in recent NBL finals—over the last two seasons, the team that lost Game One has come back to win the championship. Could the Hawks keep that pattern alive? It’s possible, but they’ll need to be aggressive, hit their shots, and handle the rebounding battle much better this time around.
So, all eyes are on Game Two. Will Melbourne United defend their home court and take a commanding 2-0 lead? Or will the Hawks fight back and level the series? One thing’s for sure—this game is going to be a must-watch! Stay tuned, because this championship battle is just heating up.
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