Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
South East Melbourne coach Josh King has apologised to the fans after the Phoenix’s horrific shooting display – including the lowest-scoring quarter in NBL history – in their 86-61 derby trouncing at the hands of Melbourne United.
The Phoenix shot just 24-of-88 from the floor – including an unfathomable 4-of-41 from three-point range – at John Cain Arena on Thursday night, while their four points in the fourth term was the lowest for any quarter in the league’s history.
“Not our best tonight – I want to apologise to the fans,” King said after SEM were held to their lowest-ever score.
“We’ll be better, I know that.
“I could make every excuse under the sun … a bad shooting night that I haven’t seen in the two-plus years I’ve been here.
“It’s by far our worst performance and we picked a bad night to do it.”
Import centre Josh Oduro scored 21 points for United, while star guard Cole Anthony shrugged off an injury scare – confirmed by Melbourne coach Jacob Chance as a “knee-on-knee” knock – to score 18.
Captain Chris Goulding added 17 points in Throwdown XXXIII as United moved ahead 23-10 against their cross-town rivals.
“We’re still figuring some things out,” Goulding said. “It was a little clunky at times, we turned it over a lot early.
“But we had an intent to be really aggressive and play with some pace.”
American Skylar Mays and reserve forward Akech Aliir were the only SEM players in double-digits – barely – with 10 points apiece.
The Phoenix’s shooting woes were evident from the start, misfiring at just 6-of-26 from the floor, but United’s lead was only 16-14 at quarter-time after they had coughed up seven turnovers.
SEM missed 20 of their first 21 three-point attempts – several of them wide-open looks – as their waywardness continued in the second term.
Meanwhile, United found some belated rhythm and pushed their lead to 45-35 at halftime after back-to-back Goulding triples.
The Phoenix’s success rate from three-point range crashed to an unfathomable 2-of-30 as Joe Ingles, ironically with a bomb from downtown, saw Melbourne’s buffer stretch to 65-43.
Aliir led a brief Phoenix rally to help trim the margin to 69-57 at three-quarter time.
SEM recruit Dash Daniels’ steal and floater made it 69-59, but it was a nightmare for the Phoenix from that point, with a late bucket from Daniel Foster their only other score for the period.
In between, United peeled off 14 unanswered points to stroll home.
