Delly puts United in fine form

A STAR shooting performance by Boomers star Matthew Dellavedova has continued Melbourne United’s road dominance of the Illawarra Hawks.

Two of the elite teams put on a show in Wollongong on Sunday, United holding on amid late calamity, 88-84.

The Hawks closed it to two points with 16.2 left and tried to play the foul game, but gave up two offensive rebounds on missed free throws to blow any chance of stealing a late win.

Brian Goorjian knows his Boomers players back to front. He told his Hawks the strategy was to close out hard on United sharpshooter Chris Goulding, but let Dellavedova shoot them from deep.

After all, the former NBA gun had only made three of his 22 attempts from the threepoint line this season, while Goulding had shredded the Hawks with 25 points and seven treys in his last visit to WIN Entertainment Centre.

“Goulding and (David) Barlow has been our keys, statistically, I told them, you’re doing what I ask, we’re playing Delly the way I want to play Delly,” Goorjian said.

Delly put on a shooting masterclass, landing his first five shots from deep in the first half on his way to 19 points – as Goulding played 12 scoreless minutes. It left Tigers legend Lanard Copeland wondering if the two hadn’t traded skills.

“Is that Goulding in a Dellavedova jersey? What’s going on?” Copes said after the former Cleveland Cavalier’s fourth three-pointer.

Andrew Gaze was similarly impressed: “When you see players in these moments and they’re feeling it, it’s a thing of beauty to watch,” Gaze, who had his fair share of heaters in his decorated career, mused.

Delly wasn’t finish, though, his incredible effort yielding 33 points, nine assists and seven three-pointers.