THERE was plenty of action from the eighth round of the National Basketball League (NBL) from the weekend, and Saturday evening saw a clash between the Adelaide 36ers and Melbourne United at Adelaide Entertainment Centre. Due to the form of the two sides over recent weeks, this was a pretty anticipated matchup. United were back to the form that delivered them a title last year, while Adelaide were able to claim some impressive victories recently, so they would have fancied themselves as a red-hot chance to cause an upset here. However, United proved too good on this occasion, giving their opponents a wake-up call with a big triumph over the home side. Melbourne led for all four quarters on their way to a 19-point victory as they continue their charge towards back-to-back titles.

In this article, we take a look at some of the key stats that shaped the result of this contest, and where each team succeeded and failed throughout the match.

Key Stats:

31/69 (44%)	FG	36/77 (46%)
25/48 (52%)	2P	22/41 (53%)
6/21 (28%)	3P	14/36 (38%)
10/17 (58%)	FT	11/18 (61%)
43	REB	42
18	AST	24
5	STL	4
2	BLK	3
13	TO	7

One of the biggest areas of success for United was their shooting from the field, although this was quite a close battle given how big the final margin was in the end. The victors prevailed in all of the key shooting stats, but the shot selection between the two teams was one of the key separators. The 36ers actually made three more field goals from inside the arc, but United’s reliance on the three-point shot ended up working wonders. The reigning champs took 15 more shots from deep than their opponents and ended up making eight more of these attempts. Adelaide were hesitant to keep firing shots from downtown, largely due to their inaccuracy to start the match. A big reason for Melbourne’s success in this area is the performance of veteran sharpshooter Chris Goulding, who hit six three’s of his own.

Another category in which United were able to dominate was the ability to hold onto the ball throughout the contest. They turned the ball over just seven times, while Adelaide gave up possession on 13 occasions. With Melbourne not stealing the ball too many times, many of these turnovers from the home side were due to sloppy play on their own behalf. This resulted in many more scoring opportunities for United, and they were able to take full advantage of this, as demonstrated on the scoreboard.

One area that Adelaide did quite well in was the rebounding battle, but it was not by much. The 36ers pulled down one more rebound than their opponents, an impressive feat given they shot a worse percentage from the field as there is frequently a correlation between the two. They were well-led by point guard Mitch McCarron, who pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds. However, what may have been even more exciting for Adelaide fans was the performance of Kai Sotto, with the 19-year-old pulling down nine rebounds in just 16 minutes, in what was a promising outing for the young prospect.

Top Points Scorers:

Cameron Bairstow (18)	Jo Lual Acuil/Chris Goulding (18)
Sunday Dech (13)	Ariel Hukporti/Jack White (12)
Todd Withers/Dusty Hannahs (12)	Mason Peatling (11)

The victors were well-served by a number of contributors across the floor, with six players reaching double-digits throughout the match. The duo of Lual Acuil and Goulding proved too deadly for their opponents, although their scoring came from different methods, with all of Goulding’s points coming from behind the three-point line, while Lual Acuil proved a threat inside the paint. Hukporti and Peatling were crucial cogs in driving their side towards United’s whopping 40 bench points for the match.

Bairstow continued his strong form of late, with another 18 points and eight rebounds in a commendable performance. If he can continue this hot form, then Adelaide will likely find themselves back on the winner’s list again soon. Dech produced his best performance of the season, although he has played limited games due to injury.