ROUND 11 of the 2021/22 National Basketball League (NBL) kicked off on Thursday night with a blockbuster matchup between the two Melbourne-based sides in United and the SEM Phoenix. It was a highly anticipated matchup, given the rivalry between the two sides has produced massive dunks, brawls and thrilling contests, and this instalment was no different. The match was back-and-forth for the entirety of the contest, with both sides delivering some high-quality action in front of a buzzing crowd at John Cain Arena. In the end, United proved too strong in a cracking affair, emerging victorious to the tune of five points to maintain top spot on the ladder.

The best player on the court proved to be United big man Jo Lual Acuil, who overcame some tough defensive attention to dominate the contest. He poured in a game-high 30 points, nine rebounds and two blocks as he continues to be known as one of the competition’s best bigs.

FIRST QUARTER

He kicked things off by winning the jump ball against Phoenix big man Zhou Qi (who has been the favourite for the competition’s Defensive Player of the Year). Lual-Acuil’s first field goal attempt was swatted by his direct opponent, but he was able to make amends for this the following possession by draining a three from a Matthew Dellavedova assist. This got his game rolling, with the team looking to involve the big man on plenty of possessions. He got involved up the other end too, swatting a dunk from Zhou. History looked to repeat itself, when Dellavedova found Lual-Acuil for another three-pointer. He made his way to the charity stripe a couple of times before heading to the bench to cap off a strong opening period.

SECOND QUARTER

Lual-Acuil had set his side up with a big lead after the opening term, but the Phoenix began to come back in the second. The big man was still getting involved, draining a put-back to keep his opponents at bay. This kicked off a period of dominant rebounding for Lual-Acuil, before heading to the bench for a well-deserved rest.

THIRD QUARTER

With the defence putting some serious pressure whenever he had control of the ball, Lual-Acuil began the third quarter affecting the contest in other ways. The big man continued to pull down crucial rebounds and was able to pass out of double-teams and find the open man, this time returning the favour to Dellavedova. He spent some more time on the bench, with the team able to call on the services of Ariel Hukporti in the meantime. He came back on the floor and used his strength to sink a lay-up underneath the basket. The big man also provided a highlight to beat the buzzer at three-quarter time to give his side a four-point advantage heading into the last.

FOURTH QUARTER

The big man kicked off the final term showcasing his range again by nailing a triple from behind the arc. He pulled down a crucial offensive board which set up free throws for his teammates, before throwing down a big dunk to give his team the lead again. After a short stint on the bench, he came back into the game with four minutes to go, and immediately made an impact by sinking a floater to tie up the match. He popped up in the clutch once again, with his dunk giving United a four-point lead with just a couple of minutes to play. The reigning champs were able to ride this lead home and remain atop the standings behind Lual-Acuil’s dominant outing.