Perth Wildcats advance to NBL semi-finals with dominant second-half performance against Melbourne United

The Perth Wildcats have booked their place in the NBL semi-finals after a stunning comeback victory over Melbourne United on Saturday night. Despite trailing 53-44 at halftime, the Wildcats completely dominated the second half to secure an 18-point victory and set up a best-of-three series against the Sydney Kings.

Melbourne United looked poised to become the first team in four seasons of the NBL‘s Play-In Tournament to advance from outside the top four. The fifth-placed United had controlled the first half, leading by as many as 11 points and taking advantage of nine offensive rebounds to four while attempting 10 more shots than their opponents.

Doolittle and Lual-Acuil Jr lead the charge

The turning point came in the third quarter, where Perth outscored Melbourne 23-10 to transform their nine-point deficit into a four-point advantage heading into the final frame. Newly-crowned MVP Kristian Doolittle scored 11 points in the quarter alone, while Jo Lual-Acuil Jr added eight crucial points.

Doolittle finished with 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but it was Lual-Acuil Jr who stole the show with arguably his best performance of the season. The big man dominated with 28 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks on efficient 11/17 shooting, a stark contrast to Wednesday’s loss to South East Melbourne where foul trouble limited him to just 17 minutes.

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« There’s no pressure on us… we went 0-3 against them during the season, no one expects us to win, so let’s see what happens, » Lual-Acuil Jr said post-game about the upcoming semi-finals clash with Sydney.

United’s season ends in disappointment

Melbourne’s collapse was complete in the fourth quarter, where they managed only 14 points as Perth pulled away for the comprehensive victory. Chris Goulding, who normally thrives in knockout games against Perth, struggled throughout under an injury cloud, managing just seven points in 19 minutes and hitting only one of eight 3-point attempts.

The loss ends a disappointing campaign for United, who started the season 9-0 and won 13 of their first 15 matches before fading. Milton Doyle top-scored for Melbourne with 13 points despite poor 4/14 shooting, while Jesse Edwards contributed 12 points and eight rebounds after overcoming back spasms.

The Wildcats will now face the Sydney Kings in the semi-finals, with Game 1 scheduled for Wednesday night at Qudos Bank Arena. Having gone 0-3 against the minor premiers during the regular season, Perth enters as clear underdogs in what promises to be a compelling series.