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AFTER having its 9-0 season start interrupted by NSW's NBL pair, Melbourne flexed its defensive muscle to rattle South East Melbourne in their top-of-the-table Throwdown, playmaking import Tyson Walker showing the way with a 24-point, 6-rebound, 6-assist tour de force.

The Phoenix looked over-psyched at the start, Nathan Sobey jacking up shots from everywhere, but it was his drive that gave the "home" team its 28-27 lead at the first break.

Walker was a constant for United, controlling the tempo for his team and had Finn Delany (18 points at 50 per cent, 4 assists, 4 steals) actively engaged.

John Brown was masterful in South East's pressure defence, the score tied ahead of halftime at 45-45 when Milton Doyle, who previously hit a hand-in-the-face 3-pointer, created another miracle.

Chasing down a ball which crossed centre at the end of the shot-clock, he collected it and released it, watching it bank in. But the 48-45 scoreline was reversed due to the shot-clock violation, giving South East a final possession with 7.6 seconds left.

At 3.8 seconds left, Owen Foxwell turned the ball over, sufficient time for Walker to whisk it forward with a wicked pass Kyle Bowen laid in for a 47-45 United interval lead.

Having surrendered 28 first-quarter points, Melbourne allowed only 17 in the second period but turned the screws even more after the main break, allowing the Phoenix just 12 points as they struggled to execute as a unit.

By the final quarter, Melbourne's defensive pressure and superior offensive execution saw its lead balloon out to 22 at 83-61 on a Tanner Krebs threeball, the final scoreline only made somewhat respectable by some late-game makes by Daniel Foster and DJ Mitchell.

In Hobart, Brisbane rode on the backs of Casey Prather and Tyrell Harrison to hand Tasmania its fourth straight loss, the JackJumpers again with the chance to win on the last play but unable to find a good shot.

When they met earlier in Brisbane, Will Magnay had his way with his former Bullets protege Harrison but this time the Kiwi centre was having none of it.

His 21 points came at 71 per cent, he had nine rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks while Magnay struggled to three points - all from the free throw line - going 0-of-2 from the floor in what best can be described as a "subdued" effort. 

Typically in early foul trouble, it meant Josh Bannan (18 points at 50 per cent, 11 rebounds) or Majok Deng had to try contain Harrison who used his height to great effect.

Prather (28 points at 50 per cent, 8 rebounds) simply continued in his All Star form, the return of Mitch Norton providing immediate grit to the team's often casual defence.

Brisbane pulled away to lead by 14 (69-55) in the third, Tyger Campbell again struggling to make an impact offensively but Ben Ayre (14 points at 56 per cent, 4-of-6 threes) working hard to fill the breach.

Nick Marshall (career-high 18 points at 50 per cent, 9 rebounds) also impressed as the Jackies tried to make amends for a quieter night from star import Bryce Hamilton.

Down the stretch when his teammates, especially Magnay, were looking particularly gun shy and passing up open looks, Hamilton stood up. But from 81-81, it was Prather who knew how to win the game, Tassie blowing their final attack after the Bullets' import gave his team the lead for keeps.

Round 8

Illawarra Hawks 107 (McGee 37, Hickey 18, Harvey 17, Swaka Lo Buluk 14, Peterson 11, Peatling 10; McGee 14 rebs; Peterson, Hickey 7 assts) d Melbourne United 93 (Delany 21, Edwards 19, Doyle 16, Walker 14; Krslovic, Edwards 6 rebs; Doyle 11 assts) at The Sandpit, WIN Entertainment Centre. Crowd: 3,012 Q-Q: 32-22, 25-21, 22-25, 28-25. Ignite Cup Pts: Illawarra 6, Melbourne 1

Adelaide 36ers 83 (Cotton 23, Cameron, Cheatham 13, White 12; Cameron, Cheatham 8 rebs; Cotton 6 assts) d New Zealand Breakers 79 (Brockington 25, Jackson-Cartwright 21, Lopez 11; Baker 9 rebs; Jackson-Cartwright 10 assts) at The Breakwater, Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch. Crowd: 3,859

South East Melbourne Phoenix 103 (Sobey 28, Lewis 23, Foxwell 15, Iwundu 11, Brown 10; Brown 14 rebs; Foxwell, Lewis, Sobey 4 assts) d Tasmania JackJumpers 102 (Hamilton 36, Deng 17, Bannan 15; Bannan 10 rebs; Hamilton 5 assts) at the SilverJinx, Launceston, Crowd: N/a

Illawarra Hawks 107 (McGee 28, Peterson 22, Hickey 19, Peatling 14, Harvey 11; Hickey 12 rebs; Hickey 12 assts) d Cairns Taipans 90 (King 32, Galloway 15, McVeigh 13, Schofield 11, Andrews 10; McVeigh 8 rebs; McVeigh, Andrews 8 assts) at the Taipanadrome, Cairns Convention Centre. Crowd: 4,025 

Brisbane Bullets 83 (Prather 28, Harrison 21, Murray, Ducas 8; Harrison 9 rebs; Adams 7 assts) d Tasmania JackJumpers 81 (Bannan, Marshall 18, Hamilton 16, Ayre 14; Bannan 11 rebs; Campbell 8 assts) at MyState Bank Arena. Crowd: 4,340

Melbourne United 92 (Walker 24, Delany 18, Goulding 16, Doyle 12; Edwards 11 rebs; Walker 6 assts) d South East Melbourne Phoenix 81 (Sobey 15, Iwundu 10, Brown, Foxwell 9; Brown 8 rebs; Foxwell 7 assts) at the Firepit, John Cain Arena. Crowd: 8,806