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Chris Goulding has celebrated his 250th Melbourne United game with a shooting masterclass that propelled the NBL ladder leaders to a 103-68 thrashing of the Brisbane Bullets.
Sunday’s victory at John Cain Arena was the equal-biggest by any team this season and only three points shy of United’s largest ever against the Bullets.
Renowned as one of the most accurate players in the league, Goulding (21 points, seven of nine from three-point range) hit four triples in a minute-and-a-half midway through the second quarter.
The 35-year-old finished with five for the term, helping United turn a three-point quarter-time deficit into a 17-point lead at the main break.
After that 36-16 quarter, United’s most prolific second term for the season, they maintained a double-digit lead for the rest of the game.
“CG was pretty amazing in that second quarter,” said United coach Dean Vickerman.
“It was very similar to the last time we played them (earlier this season) in the second quarter, where he absolutely broke the game open.
“There wasn’t a lot of stuff run through him through that period. I thought he used screens well, found opportunities to get himself open.”
The win helps Melbourne (10-4) bounce back from their disappointing last-start loss to Cairns and has them two wins clear atop the ladder to finish the weekend.
Sixth-placed Brisbane are teetering just inside the play-in bracket and have now lost their last 10 against United.
A former assistant at United, Brisbane coach Justin Schueller had no answers for Goulding when the veteran wing began to cook.
American import Chris Smith picked up three fouls midway through the second quarter while attempting to mark Goulding, while a zone press also struggled to curb his influence.
Brisbane did themselves no favours with the basketball, racking up 11 turnovers and shooting the three ball with only 11 per cent accuracy.
Goulding was not quite so damaging after half time but hit his seventh and final three-pointer in the fourth quarter to give United what was then a game-high 26-point lead.
“What he did tonight is why he’s going to be a legend of this club,” said Schueller.
In his 250th NBL game, talismanic Bullets guard Nathan Sobey was quiet, restricted to only 12 points from four of 15 field-goal shooting and finding himself in foul trouble during the third term.
Sam McDaniel (12 points) helped mastermind a 10-0 run in the first quarter that put the Bullets up by eight points but that was as good as it got for the visitors.
Schueller lamented his side’s inability to lift for Sobey and Tyrell Harrison, who was playing his 100th NBL game.
“We didn’t put in a performance that was deserving of who they are to us and to this club. It’s definitely frustrating,” he said.
United welcomed Ian Clark back from a hamstring injury for his first game in more than a month and the sharp-shooting NBA champion finished with 14 points and three rebounds.
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