THE FINAL play-in match in the 2026 National Basketball League (NBL) saw the Perth Wildcats keep their championship aspirations alive after defeating Melbourne United by 18 points at home on Saturday night.

The two teams had one more chance to book a spot in the semi-finals with an elimination clash at RAC Arena on Saturday, after the Wildcats were defeated by the SEM Phoenix in a double-chance match, while United knocked out the Tasmania JackJumpers to stay alive.

Coming into the match with a significant boost as hosts, the Wildcats made the most of home court advantage to dominate the second half and book in a matchup against the Sydney Kings in the penultimate stage of the postseason.

Perth Wildcats (95) def. Melbourne United (77)

The Wildcats were stunned by a strong performance from Melbourne in the first half, with the visitors starting the game impressively to take some of the sting out of RAC Arena on Saturday. It looked as if United were building off their momentum from the first play-in win against the JackJumpers, which was slightly expected given the short turnaround between games.

Perth was being smashed on the offensive boards prior to the main break, with Melbourne pulling down nine more in the first 20 minutes of play, and taking a nine-point buffer into half-time. It was an impressive showing from United, who had silenced the away venue to move one step closer to making the playoffs and continuing their remarkable record at RAC Arena.

However, the Wildcats turned their game around after the break, rallying behind star pair Jo Lual-Acuil and Kristian Doolittle. The duo had been the two best players on the court in the first half, but it had not translated to scoreboard success until the second half, when Perth began to snatch the momentum and take the lead.

With the home crowd getting involved, the Wildcats were able to outscore Melbourne 51-24 in a complete turnaround relative to the first half. Perth’s frontcourt was simply too much for United’s defence to contain, and fatigue began to kick in for Melbourne following two games in three days, and the visitors ended up being eliminated.

Lual-Acuil was at his dominant best against United, returning to his All-NBL First Team form with 28 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. It was the type of performance that showed his capabilities against his former side, and he was one of the biggest factors in the match with his presence in the low block across all four quarters.

His partner in crime in Doolittle was just as emphatic in the win, stuffing the stat sheet with 24 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals, proving too much for United’s defence and drawing plenty of contact to keep Perth’s score ticking over.

United import Milton Doyle was Melbourne’s leading scorer with 13 points, although it was on an inefficient 4/14 shooting from the field, while Tyson Walker and Jesse Edwards added 12 points each in the loss, with the latter pulling down eight rebounds.

It is now season over for United, who will look to shake up their roster over the off-season, while the Wildcats will now turn their attention to a massive matchup against the Kings, which will kick off tomorrow night.