A huge performance by Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) legend Chris Goulding has handed Melbourne United a 91-89 victory over the NZ Breakers In New Plymouth.
Goulding, who scored a season-high 42 points, landed a 10th three-pointer on one of his more incredible game-winning shots of his 464-game ANBL career as United escaped TSB Stadium with the win on Monday night.
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In response to Goulding, Matt Mooney landed three huge triples and scored the Breakers final 14 points, including a massive three with 5.1 seconds to go to give his team the one-point lead.
United still had time to execute out of a timeout and the ball got to Goulding, he pulled up for the three well outside the arc, put plenty of air on it and it never looked like missing to give him 42 points for the game.
It was a crucial win for Melbourne, who were nine points down to the Breakers early in the fourth quarter, but found a way to escape to remain in second spot in the standings at 15-9.
Goulding ended up shooting 10-of-19 from three for the game along with having our rebounds and there assists with Tall Blacks guard Shea Ili adding 15 points and five assists, Matthew Dellavedova eight points and six assists, and Jack White eight points and 13 rebounds.
It was a heartbreaking way for the Breakers to a lose an 11th game in their past 12, and third straight in six days, when they did so much right throughout the game.
Mexican 'Next Star' Karim Lopez finished with 19 points and five rebounds, Mooney 19 points and eight assists, Sam Mennenga 18 points and five boards, and Jonah Bolden 10 points and seven rebounds.
Tacko Fall scored eight points and pulled in nine rebounds.
United made a fast start in New Plymouth with the game's opening seven points starting with buckets to Matthew Dellavedova and Shea Ili before a three-pointer to Chris Goulding.
The Breakers answered with he next six points before the runs from either side continued with Goulding knocking down another two threes for Melbourne with Kyle Bowen and Ian Clark also hitting from outside to set up a six-point lead.
The home side responded with nine straight points including a triple to Jonah Bolden and that saw the home team head into quarter-time leading 26-25.
The scoring dried up significantly in the second quarter and there was even a significant delay with problems with the shot clock.
The Breakers did push out to a four-point lead just before half-time but Goulding hit a fifth three of the half just before the buzzer to cut the lead to 42-41 at the break where they scored 28 points in the paint while United had 21 of their 41 coming from outside the arc.
Goulding opened up the second half with his sixth three ball of the game, but he was proving his team's only player in any sort of offensive groove with the Breakers hitting the next eight points to be out to a six-point lead.
By the time Sam Mennenga knocked down a three-pointer shortly after, New Zealand's lead was out to nine and by three quarter-time that's where the advantage remained for the Breakers.
Melbourne were staring down the barrel at a loss that would see them slide down the table until going on a 9-0 scoring run including an eighth three ball from Goulding.
Mooney answered with a triple for his side to put his team back up by that margin before he also hit three free-throws to put the Breakers back out to a four-point edge.
Goulding brought the scores back level with the next four points and then United took the lead when he landed a ninth triple with 2:25 on the clock.
Mooney answered with his second three of the game to bring scores back square and then he put them in front with 1:30 to play before Ili found Jack White for an alley-oop up the other end.
White again scored soon after to put United in front but the Breakers had the last possession with Mooney landing a massive triple to put his team up one with 5.1 seconds to go.
But Goulding gave his three ball plenty of air and it fell for a 10th three of the game or one of the most stunning game winners of his career.
The Breakers now return to Spark Arena to play host to the Tasmania JackJumpers on Thursday while United play their fifth of seven straight road matches against the Illawarra Hawks on Saturday.
Melbourne United 91 (Chris Goulding 42, Shea Ili 15) NZ Breakers 89 (Matt Mooney 19, Karin Lopez 19, Sam Mennenga 18, Jonah Bolden 10). 1Q: 25-26, HT: 41-42, 3Q: 70-63