Melbourne United have defied an injury to luckless Shea Ili and a malfunctioning game clock to emphatically break a four-game NBL losing streak with a 97-75 steamrolling of the Illawarra Hawks.
Second-placed United (14-6) squeezed the life out of the eighth-ranked Hawks (6-11) down the stretch at John Cain Arena on Thursday night, dominating the final quarter 23-8 to put their campaign back on track.
Import Tyson Walker starred with 21 points and 10 assists, with tremendous support from Finn Delany (18 points) and Tanner Krebs (17).
With skipper Chris Goulding out through illness, Melbourne lost acting captain Ili, already on minutes restrictions, before halftime after reaggravating a hamstring injury.
"I thought we gave up too many easy ones in that first half - that allowed them to hang around," United coach Dean Vickerman said.
"When the game was on the line in the fourth quarter, I thought we really locked down and got stops."
Meanwhile, the Hawks' title defence looks all but over, their heavy defeat soured further by an injury to superstar big JaVale McGee.
He departed midway through the fourth quarter with a bleeding right eye, accidentally poked by Delany.
McGee and Tyler Harvey scored 18 points apiece for Illawarra.
Melbourne's 24-20 quarter-time advantage grew to 41-26 in the second period, the Hawks out of sync and disorganised on offence.
Harvey, who played through a lower-back issue, and veteran Todd Blanchfield sparked a gritty fightback from the visitors, who reduced the deficit to 47-41 at halftime.
A malfunctioning game clock at one end delayed play for 14 minutes early in the second half before the issue was finally rectified.
Play resumed and Illawarra closed the gap to 72-67 late in the third quarter, but were never remotely close again.
United, who knocked down all 22 free-throws, upped their defensive pressure to go on a 15-2 tear either side of three-quarter time, then another 10-0 burst in the dying minutes to leave the Hawks reeling.
"Melbourne were very aggressive," Illawarra coach Justin Tatum said.
"They came out determined to win the game. We didn't match their intensity.
"Our offence was out of whack here and there, and the best team won."
