Basketball On The Internet.

SOUTH East Melbourne last night coughed up another Throwdown before Brandon Knight made a promising debut in Perth, Dylan Windler with 32 points and seven 3-pointers as the Wildcats finally ran away from a New Zealand team missing injured inspirational leader Parker Jackson-Cartwright.

It always going to be a big ask of the Breakers without PJC, arguably the leading candidate for the MVP award at this early stage of the season.

But with his lower leg injury threatening to sideline him indefinitely, New Zealand desperately needed someone else to step up.

Enter Sam Mennenga who delivered a career-best game, scoring a season-high equalling 40 points at 58 per cent (5-of-8 threes), while hauling in a whopping 18 rebounds 

He added five assists and a block for good measure as the Breakers stayed in the contest for three quarters, trailing only 66-70 with a period to play before they hit the wall.

Wildcats veteran Jesse Wagstaff, with a season-best 13 points, opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer and a tip in as the margin began to widen. Then Windler cut loose with 18 last-quarter points, including four monster 3-pointers and Elijah Pepper added two more in his 25 points at 69 per cent.

Knight's long-awaited arrival became less relevant in the absence of PJC but the former NBA playmaker showed sufficient to say Perth is back in serious calculations.

Not quite so bright are the Phoenix who blew another Throwdown in Melbourne as United ran Luke Travers (24 points at 82 per cent) and Sam Waardenburg (late) into sharper former.

South East started strongly, the memory of its recent 4-of-41 3-point shooting in its bitter loss to its crosstown rival erased early, the Phoenix hitting four threes inside the game's first four minutes.

D'Shawn Schwartz threw off his recent shooting struggles as South East ran up a 15-point lead but by halftime, United clawed it back to 45-53.

Cole Anthony (18 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals) was providing the ball movement United required, Josh Oduro a continuing force in the keyway, playing to his strengths.

Despite a season-high 24 points from Nathan Sobey, his six turnovers were huge and opened a door Melbourne drove straight through.

Round 4 Results, Saturday

Melbourne United 104 (Travers 24, Oduro 21, Anthony 18, Machar 13, Waardenburg 10; Oduro 10 rebs; Anthony 7 assts) d South East Melbourne Phoenix 99 (Sobey 24, Schwartz 19, Mays 15, Glover 12; Krebs 6 rebs; Mays 7 assts) at John Cain Arena.

Perth Wildcats 100 (Windler 32, Pepper 25, Wagstaff 13, Dell'Orso 10; Windler 8 rebs; Doolittle 9 assts) d New Zealand Breakers 84 (Mennenga 40, King 17, Vasiljevic 10; Mennenga 18 rebs; Davison 11 assts) at RAC Arena.