Going ultra old school and hoping this match is a CORKER. History tells us home teams usually take out a game three, just hoping the match lives up to the hype and is another classic. Been a RIPPER of a playoff series.

I don't think any of us can claim to be able to tip winners. I’m thinking United because of Vickerman experience. Should be a corker, cracker. :::)))

Perth win Goulding retires.

It took something special from Windler to get them over the line last game. Will need to repeat it and if Cotton can break the shackles. Will Melbourne gamble on someone other than Cotton winning it for Perth and keep pressure on him, might have to focus on Windler as well. To my knowledge he's been pretty inconsistent this season though.
Pressure is on Melbourne, think the home rings will be favourable for Goulding to have a big night.

Vickerman is shell shocked.

Jack White needs to retire at this rate

Big first quarter from Cotton and Perth

Jack White picked a bad time to forget how to play basketball.

United can't win playing D like this, cats are bullying them. He’s not the mvp for no reason

Gotta love basketball

Refs let both teams play physically in game 2. First qtr game 3, anyone lays a finger on almighty Bryce, foul.

Bryce draws 2 fouls in quick succession. Next Play Ili pushed out of bound by Doolittle. No call. Gotta get better at making refs notice Shea

Next play after that again Ili missed the call

If Ili could learn to accentuate contact like Cotton he'd score an extra 5-7 points a night

Henshall nba lottery pick lol loves looking in the mirror a lot I'm guessing

Just run cg43 of the line, the big helps doesn't matter. More chance Loe misses a dunk then cg43 a 3... seriously!!!

Delly is going to be begging any team to sign him next season

Rob Loe is downright unplayable. It shouldn't matter if Lee has foul trouble you can’t play him but Vickerman can’t make adjustments.

United shooting insane.

Does the Wildcats want to play some D?

Probably the best first half of NBL I can ever remember watching

United right back in it, can Clarke and Goulding keep them threes dropping, Perth far better inside could get them the upset here.

Was doesn't pinder close out on Goulding when Loe sets the screen he just saggs off

Screeningnick, your comments about Delly and Loe seem so appropriate - so we can expect to see them at Sixers next season then? LOL

This is a heck of a game.

Pinder...is going to cost Perth this game

You can't just whack a guy across the front.... after the whistle

Huge 4th quarter here

Windler got step up, Pinder got play sme D. Doolittle turning into my favourite player

Fatigue will be the death knell for Perth

Or Goulding exploding again

Clark and CG43 providing an elite 2 man punch

Perth is looking tired. Do they have another run in them?

This would have to be one of the best games in modern NBL

Ili is killing MU just like he did in the Tassie series

Doolittle, wow

This is nuts

What a game and series this is. Unbelievable.

Unfortunately I couldn't catch the first half but what a game. Quality players stepping up and going toe to toe. I still think melbourne have too many options and will take it

Would love some OT though!

Running out of adjectives to describe this one, sensational

Keep Lee for next season, retire Loe.

Goaltend and charge.... ref's very consistent but they were two howlers that went for the home team... a replay of the goaltend would help to confirm

Massive missed travel on the go ahead

So we'll all game but home court wins the last 3 mins for united

JESSE WAGSTAFF

I think i know what's coming!!

Hoo boy, what a game...

Goulding for the swan dive with absolutely no one around him.

Attendance: 5,618

With all the contact let go, a cg43 gift for the win....

second swan drive in two plays


Goulding is nothing but consistent

Moronic challenge. Now lose the timeout to advance it after Goulding makes one. Game over.

Ruin the best game by walking cg43 to the line... shame

What a game, shouldn't have challenged that call, but ultimately that will go down as one of the best NBL games in recent times

flop flop flop

Is that the best NBL game ever?

Any game Perth loses is the greatest game

Best ever ruined NBL game.

So the missed foaltwnd was pretty significant.... horrid last few mins for the ref's, let way to much go missed obvious calls but we're there to bail out cg43.... completely inconsistent with every other call the quarter.... but hey, that's why you get home court, home cooking when it matters most

I thought CG would make the last shot but didn't expect it to be a free throw!

Great game. Love the way melbourne set up a roster and play the game. Clearly one of the top two teams this year

The refs missed the goal tend by Lee and the travel by Clark.

The Wildcats and their horrid defence on the perimeter are mainly to blame.

Yep, imagine a better coach with this squad.

Credit to both teams for a gripping quality game. I'm relieved United won- Perth did much better than I expected them to.

Doolittle is GOLD!!!

Presumably none of those referees will make an appearance in the grand final series after missing the obvious goal tend

if that was Jesse's final NBL game, what a play to end his career on

There is no depth to denote referees in the NBL.

demote*

United did get a couple of late calls

They also missed the foul on Wagstaff on CGs layup with a minute to go though

United lost a likely championship in 2020 due to game 3 reffing in Sydney. That's why United fans know better than anyone why home court is crucial in NBL

I fear United's "played their grand final". That was unbelievable.

Credit to Perth. Heading into this game, I thought whoever won wasn't much chance of beating Illawarra (assuming they win tomorrow). But tonight's game proved both teams are very much capable of elite, championship level basketball.

I have said this before this season but whoever does the scheduling needs a lot of questions asked. You can't have 5618 to game 3 of a play off game like that. The season needs to be done and dusted before the AFL giant drowns everything else out. The JJs probably papered over the cracks last year because of their drawing power in Melbourne but this needs to be about pulling a MU home crowd and how can you do that when the AFL is hogging all the Melbourne media.

Let's not pretend Melbourne's defence was elite! Yeah a missed goaltend and obvious travel were huge in the ontext of the game. There was absolutely nothing between those teams, all game. But for a checks notes goaltend and travel.... also give some credit to Cg43, I can't stand him his attitude and the way he carries himself, but ffs the man can shoot, some of the shots he hit were beyond impossible, I swear Windler even blocked one that went in.... so yeah simply violations, in the last few mins of a game 3, bloody well matter.

Delly sets up the offence so well. Imagine if he was at Perth

Sensational game, goal tend miss was unlucky but that's basketball, sport generally. Cotton is the mvp but Goulding is the man so many times. Doolittle superb, Henshall also very good, Windler, Wagstaff and Webster useful. Pinder D just not good enough for this quality game. Delly and Clarke helped Goulding, White made some threes that helped but overall imo United were a little lucky, probably makes up for last season. Both teams will probably have quite a few changes next season. Hopefully Cotton stays but I’m far from convinced.

To use another cliche, basketball was the winner.

Wow as others have said what a game, entertainment at its best. Henshall being isolated on D hasn't done his NBA aspiration any good.
The conditioning of Cotton and Dolittle right up there. Goulding, Clark and Wagstaff all adding to a major moment.
Superstars allowed to play is what we all hope for.

Delly is so passed it, he left the nba a thug and if he didn't play at united he would get called for 5 offensive fouls per game. Great servant of Aus basketball, bit just a grumpy old man now that gets favoured with reputation

Crowd was about what I expected

Semi final crowds have always struggled in the NBL.

Like McVeighs shot last year, this game, although it was maybe the best NBL game I've ever seen, may get better in hindsight depending what happens next

If Cotton and Wagstaff are done at the Wildcats, what a swansong. They didn't win but Cotton was huge. Wagstaff continues contributing all series, and hits the big 3. The fact he was on court at all tells you how valuable he is.

If Delly is "so passed it “ with 10 boards and 11 assists in a semi final then there must be a team loads of others who are passed it

Great great game and the result is as it should be really thoroughly enjoyed it despite the loss.

Passed it in the context of how he goes about it. He can still produce, but not if he got rookie or new import calls. He gets Aussie legend calls, gets away with murder

@KL last years semi final crowds in Melbourne were 8,232 and 6,288 on a Thursday and a Wednesday

Last year games 1,3,5 of GF were played on 3 consecutive Sundays with crowds of 9,175 then 2 sell outs. AFL didn't stop the sell outs.

If they play Illawarra games 2 and 4 will be on Wednesdays so that'll be an interesting test.

Where was jacket tonight? 3's were popping left right and centre. Can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it

Greatest advert for the GAME. Some gameas are like classics... gutted for cats but got to sometimes accept defeat to rightful better team. Whoop whoop why nbl is so great. Let's hope the waratah get job done. Tough watching all Vickie final. Well done to Wikdcat legend JW..might be end of road for the hert and soul of the West.

Love all the sooks on here. See ya later Perth.

In 40 years following this league I can't remember a better game. I was just shaking my head in amazement many times throughout. Stunning game.

Goulding, Clark, Cotton, Doolittle just put on a show for the ages.

Two excellent press conferences, both coaches saying how Doolittle was so good all year and undervalued by the media and awards, so true. I said a while back he's the best four in the competition.

This game was nuts.

I haven't been able to see so many games this year, but so glad I had the time to see this high quality game.

A show for the ages- apt description Mouse.

I can't remember a better game either.

Yes there were a couple of missed calls against the Cats, but i'm sure there were some missed for United as well. Refs are not perfect much like the players with missed lay ups and poor passes.

Can someone explain to me why our braindead coach did not have either Almansa or KP guard the line in the last inbound against a 7ft Loe rather than a 6ft Cotton, again a defensive break down from this clown, when you coach at any level that is one of the first things you do in that situation, is have your tallest player guard the inbound pass.

You answered your own question with the 'b' word.

As an impartial observer who would rank Melbourne and Perth as his two least favourite teams that was a hell of a game. I get the outrage of Perth fans online to a degree, but again as a (relatively) impartial observer none of the blown calls were egregious - the goal tending call looked 50/50 in real time on the broadcast, I didn't see the travel in real time, and the foul on CG 43 was obvious arm contact in real time also. Hell of a game regardless and deserving of OT, but the inbound play was a thing of brilliance. I'd be pissed if it was my team losing, but the reaction seems over the top to me given the replies to every NBL post about the game.

For me the Wildcats were running on pure individual brilliance down the stretch of this season and there were a number of tactical mistakes across all 3 games of this series alone that demonstrate why Rillie is not the answer for a team that has its sights set on championships - or they at least need a much better and more experienced support staff around him. I thought United did a poor job in the 4th Q of game 2 tactically with some uncharacteristic lack of discipline, but overall Vickerman is just miles ahead of Rillie.

Agree Angush teh first quarter Perth team offense was fantastic but as has happened all year when things get tight rely on super individual performance to get the W. Doolittle and Cotton came ever so close possible the best two individuals on the court.

Perths main reasons for success has been individual brilliance in spite of Rillie

Rillie being re signed was final mail in coffin for Bryce re signing.
His outstanding play has been somewhat motivated by driving his value up to make sure he has better offers to gtfo, but unfortunately it will have an effect of hiding Rillie's issues as a coach as they won plenty during the ride.

With the money freed up they can offer Doolittle his worth and keep him.
But now it’s on front office to put together a roster with more financial freedom, as Bryce has also covered up their poor decisions also during their tenure.

Now we can really see if Rillie and Mills are up to it without Bryce there and a complete clean slate.

What a game! Easily one of the best NBL playoff battles in recent memory. Melbourne's depth and shot-making were unreal, but credit to Perth for keeping it tight till the end. Goulding once again proving why he’s a big-game player—love him or hate him, the man delivers.

The late calls (or non-calls) will be debated for a while, but ultimately, United executed when it mattered. That was a championship-level performance.

Also, Doolittle is an absolute beast. If this was Wagstaff’s final game, what a way to go out.

Now the big question—can United back it up in the Grand Final, or have they just played their best game of the season?