'Not on the same page': United slump deepens

Melbourne’s up-and-down form continued on Sunday, losing by nine points to reigning champions Illawarra at John Cain Arena.

That's despite the hosts racing out to a 17-8 advantage early in the first quarter.

Interim head coach Rhys Carter, whose side defeated Cairns on Thursday night, said his squad failed to ‘win the big moments’ on Sunday.

“Today was a bit clunky at times, where they disrupted us in the full court, pressed and really slowed us down,” Carter said in Sunday’s post-game press conference.

“A few times, we just weren't on the same page, with two guys not knowing what we're in, and that really hurt.

“You could feel, after a couple of bad possessions, that the vibes drop.

“We’ve got to stay solid when things are going [according to plan], and have some poise to find a way out of those holes, while not letting them get bigger than they already are.”

Despite the result, which is United’s third loss in four games, Carter is confident heading not only into Thursday’s Throwdown against South East Melbourne, but also the Finals.

“Absolutely, we still think, despite not being at our best today, that our best is good enough to get it done [against anyone],” Carter said.

“Our best includes Tyson [Walker] driving into space and creating advantages for us on offence, while also sharing the load and having numerous points of attack.

“Then on defence, it’s about picking up full-court and being disruptive.”

Walker, who scored a game-high 30 points, echoed Carter’s sentiments.

“We started off 13-2 and looked pretty dangerous then,” Walker said.

“So hopefully we get back to that [as that’s good enough to beat anyone].”

United hosts the Phoenix at John Cain Arena from 7.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.