Walker gives United the best of both worlds

Thursday’s Throwdown win for Melbourne United was the statement victory they were looking for heading into Finals.

While the last few rounds haven’t gone according to plan, with United going 2-3 in their past five games, coach Dean Vickerman knows what a win over ‘one of the competition’s best teams’ can do for his side.

“[A win like this] is big for our confidence going into Finals,” Vickerman said in Thursday’s post-game press conference.

“Our group has been talking about confidence a lot and I think games like this, when you're playing against one of the better teams in the league that's on a roll, is really important.

“Getting a win, where we had to figure out the highs and lows of the match, under your belt, is a good momentum builder for us.”

One of those lows Vickerman alludes to in the 19-0 run the Phoenix went on in the third quarter to retake the lead.

“We’ve talked a lot about being resilient and being ready to respond,” he said.

“In this case, we didn’t have a choice [but to respond], because we wanted to give ourselves a chance to get into the top four.

“A season is all about moments and we don’t have enough moments left to just let this one slip, so we made adjustments.

“I’m pleased with our response, to get a win we really needed.”

A big factor in the four-point win was the play of Tyson Walker, who tallied 23 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds in the victory.

The American point guard has been a shining light for United in NBL26, with fellow import Milton Doyle singing his praises.

“He's doing a great job [for us] and is one of the the best I've seen in a in a first year,” Doyle said.

“He’s scoring the ball well and also knows when to get others involved.

“He's also a pest on defence, that can guard one through three and is regularly marking the other team’s best players.

“[Honestly] he one of the best guards in the league.”

Round 22 of the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 continues on Friday night with a double-header on ESPN.

Firstly at 7.30pm AEDT, Brisbane hosts Sydney before Perth battles Adelaide from 9.30pm AEDT.