ALTHOUGH it was a lot closer than many expected, Saturday evening’s action in the National Basketball League (NBL) saw Melbourne United hold on to get the job done over a gutsy Brisbane Bullets side, claiming a six-point win.

United hosted the Bullets at John Cain Arena over the weekend, with the ladder-leaders widely tipped to get the job done given they seemed to have returned to form with recent wins after a slight form slump. They were favoured against a Brisbane side that had recently parted ways with former MVP Jaylen Adams, marking the final departure of their highly touted import trio coming into the season.

It looked as if United had the match in the bag heading into the final frame, having worked their way into a hefty lead at the final change, before the Bullets stormed home in the fourth quarter to worry the championship favourites. However, they still fell six points short as Melbourne held on for a nervy victory.

Melbourne United (99) def. Brisbane Bullets (93)

The Bullets were in the midst of a difficult period, having been belted by the New Zealand Breakers on the Gold Coast on Wednesday night and losing their standout performer for the season in Casey Prather to a season-ending injury. Now, their character was going to be tested against a United team that won their first 10 games of the season.

However, the visitors were dominant out of the gates in the opening minutes of the match, jumping out to a stunning 19-7 lead and silencing the crowd in Melbourne. United steadied from there, closing the frame on a 17-3 run to tie up proceedings at the first change, although it was clear the hosts had a fight on their hands.

Star guard Milton Doyle was beginning to play a key role in the match as the second quarter unfolded, proving a big problem for the Brisbane defence with 17 first-half points. Melbourne began to draw contact and generate easy points at the free throw line, and it resulted in United truly taking control of the match in the second and third quarters.

The home side led by as much as 21 points and still held an 18-point buffer at three quarter time as the match looked as if it was going to end as a blowout. However, the Bullets were not done yet, flicking a switch on the offensive end began to cash in from behind the arc and slash the deficit in commanding fashion.

Brisbane knocked down seven shots from behind the arc, as Lamar Patterson began to take over the match and keep the visitors alive. The margin was whittled down to as little as three points after some big shotmaking from the Bullets, but Doyle and Shea Ili were cool, calm and collected when sent to the free throw line, which allowed United to hold onto a six-point win.

Doyle was the star of the show for Melbourne, dropping 28 points, six rebounds and four assists on 11/18 shooting, helping United break the game open in the second and third periods and seal the game when Brisbane made a push. Also catching the eye was Next Star Dash Daniels, who made the most of his 12 minutes of court time with six points and two boards.

For the Bullets, Mitch Norton delivered his best performance of the 2025/26 season, stepping up in the absence of some offensive contributors to finish with 19 points, two rebounds and two dimes. He combined well with Patterson who had 18 points of his own on 4/7 shooting from long range as the pair dragged Brisbane back into the match.