Spectacular Bullets win shootout in Melbourne

The Brisbane Bullets arrived in Melbourne on a mission and produced perhaps their best and most complete performance of the NBL season to beat the league-leading United in a high scoring spectacle 122-114.

The Bullets made it a focus to run with the fast-paced Melbourne rather than try to turn the game into a grind. It ended up working a treat with the eight-point victory on an afternoon that featured 236 points between the two teams.

Brisbane arrived in Melbourne confident after beating the Adelaide 36ers at home on Friday night but with the knowledge of having lost 12 straight against United dating back to the NBL Cup in March 2021.

It was a locked in Bullets team right from the outset with both teams playing at a high level offensively with scores level at 28-28 at quarter-time, 57-57 at half-time, and Brisbane narrowly leading 88-87 by three quarter-time.

The Bullets were then able to break the game open in the fourth quarter including a match winning 13-4 run including three balls to Keandre Cook and Casey Prather as they secured the eight-point win while scoring the most ever points in Melbourne against United.

It was a spectacular performance all-round from Brisbane as they shot 64 per cent from the field as a team along with 12/24 from three-point range and 28/36 at the free-throw line to overcome Melbourne taking 18 extra field goal attempts.

All five starters for the Bullets were terrific with Casey Prather continuing his hot form with another 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists with 4/5 three-point shooting.

Keandre Cook added 27 points, six rebounds and five assists with James Batemon delivering 25 points, four rebounds and four assists with 4/5 from downtown while Tyrell Harrison delivered another 25 points and six rebounds.

Captain Mitch Norton also finished with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists with Tohi Smith-Milner the only bench player to score with seven points and three rebounds in his 17 minutes.

Ian Clark top-scored for Melbourne with 24 points while Jack White added 21, Rob Loe 19, Shea Ili 18 and Matthew Dellavedova 18.

It was basket for basket in a high tempo start to the contest and after the Bullets were leading 13-11, United scored the next eight points and did lead by as much as eight before Brisbane finished the quarter strongly.

The Bullets closed the quarter scoring 12 of the last 16 points including six of those to Casey Prather with Keandre Cook already having nine to his name with scores tied at 28-28 after one.

Prather started the second quarter with an and-one before James Batemon hit a three to put Brisbane on top, but it continued to be a tight contest the rest of the half.

Melbourne opened up a five-point lead, but Brisbane answered with the next five points with four of those to Tyrell Harrison who had 16 points to his name by half-time with the Bullets locked with United at 57-57 following an entertaining opening half.

Things remained entertaining and tight throughout the third quarter with the two teams combining for another 61 points and late three balls for Brisbane from Cook and Tohi Smith-Milner helped the Bullets to narrow 88-87 lead by three quarter-time on scoring 31 points to 30 in that period.

Brisbane opened up the fourth quarter with threes to Batemon and Prather but the runs from both teams continued until the Bullets broke the game open for good starting with seven straight points between Cook and Harrison.

Cook and Prather then scored threes to push the Bullets lead out to seven and they were able to close it out from there for the statement eight-point triumph.

The Bullets head home to prepare to host Nathan Sobey and the South East Melbourne Phoenix at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Thursday night before another quick turnaround to play the Kings in Sydney on Sunday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2024/25

BRISBANE BULLETS 122 (Prather 27, Cook 27, Batemon 25, Harrison 25)

MELBOURNE UNITED 114 (Clark 24, White 21, Loe 19)

BOX SCORE