IN A blockbuster clash between the top two sides in the National Basketball League (NBL), the Adelaide 36ers emerged victorious in their matchup against Melbourne United, although it took overtime to separate the teams.

After starting the season with 10 consecutive wins, United have endured a bit of a form slump of late, and lost top spot in the standings to the Sixers after some untimely losses. Now, they were tasked with heading to South Australia to take on the ladder-leaders at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, in what was billed as the match of the year.

In fitting fashion, the two sides could not be split after regulation, and it was the Sixers who got the job done in extra time, claiming a nine-point win to move to championship favouritism on the back of another strong showing against a contender.

Adelaide 36ers (114) def. Melbourne United (105)

The opening term belonged to the pairing of Bryce Cotton and Flynn Cameron, who each scored seven points in the first 10 minutes as Adelaide jumped out to an early lead. The pair were the leading influences on the scoring front and it resulted in the Sixers leading by five points at the first change in a strong start on Friday night.

Momentum continued to swing the way of the home side, with the Sixers’ lead pushing out to 12 points early in the second frame. However, Melbourne was kept in the match by the performance of Milton Doyle, who erupted for 13 points in the quarter to stop the match from getting away from United. The guard did not get much help however, and the visitors still trailed by 11 points at the main break despite his efforts.

The Sixers led by as much as 18 points in the second half, showing why they currently occupy top spot with a potent offensive performance in the third quarter. However, Melbourne stormed home in the final quarter, erasing the deficit in dramatic fashion, with Finn Delany nailing a tough three-point play to tie up proceedings with 30 seconds to play.

As expected, the ball ended up in the hands of five-time MVP Cotton, but reigning Defensive Player of the Year Shea Ili stole the ball, but Doyle’s game-winning three was off, and the match headed to overtime despite looking over in the third frame.

Cotton was again prominent in the extra period, dropping seven points in seemingly no time at all to drag his team to a hefty lead. Although he ended up fouling out for the first time in his career with three minutes to play, he had already led the Sixers to a gutsy win that could hold them in good stead for the remainder of the season.

The reigning NBL MVP was at his brilliant best and proved the difference in a close contest, posting a whopping 33 points, seven rebounds and 15 assists against the best lockdown guard in the competition, showing why he is the favourite to take out the league’s top gong for the sixth time in his already storied career.

Cameron posted 18 points of his own, while Dejan Vasiljevic (14 points), Isaac Humphries (17 points) and Zylan Cheatham (13 points, nine rebounds) all played crucial roles as the Sixers snagged one of their most impressive wins of the season.

For United, Delany ended up being their best despite the loss, posting 20 points and nine rebounds, including his clutch play that sent the match to overtime, while Doyle ended the contest with 17 points, although it was an inefficient shooting night from the field with numbers of 6/22 FG.