Basketball On The Internet.

BASKETBALL has more than its share of "experts" who believe every word they utter is a pearl of wisdom. Experience has taught they're often not worth a grain of salt. But when iconic WA superstar Andrew Vlahov speaks, you listen. So when he tells you he believes Dylan Windler will be a player to watch, you pay attention.

The Wildcats' triple-NBL champion, 10-year captain and four-time Boomers Olympian was a Windler believer since Day One and even through some rough initial patches when scratchy Perth fans were giving him the import stink-eye. (You know, the same folk who wanted Kristian Doolittle cut early last season, or Jermaine Beal years ago...)

Last night Windler altered the course of the NBL semi final series with an unprecedented Game 2 shooting display that had Melbourne United choking on his fumes. 

Actually, United choked generally and mightily, if truth be told. They had uncorked a 36-point first quarter, at one stage led Perth 30-10, had the Red Army of RAC Arena in quiet shock and still led by 18 (71-53) on a Tanner Krebs three-point play with 1:55 left in the third quarter.

Chris Goulding, the 41-point hero of United's Game 1 win, had picked up where he left off, banging in 11 first-quarter points and appeared set for another monster return.

Instead, he was starved of the ball for a while, had Ben Henshall in his face, chose some rushed bad options and then spent the rest of the game trying to find his shot. That "eye of the tiger" menace of Game 1? It was nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile Bryce Cotton was battling for his 18 points on 5-of-13 shooting and Keanu Pinder struggling for eight on 2-of-10 baskets. But Doolittle and Windler were grabbing 11 boards apiece, Webster causing mayhem and Jesse Wagstaff's 10 points of the bench were at a perfect 4-of-4 shooting.

Once the Red Army sensed what was umnfolding, it created a wave of passion Windler surfed home, sticking 6-of-7 triples in his game-high 27 points.

Apart from his 11 rebounds, he also had four assists, two steals and blocked four shots in easily his finest outing as a Wildcat. 

Windler, Doolittle and Tai Webster were the heart and soul of Perth's amazing recovery from there as it piled on a 33-15 final period, United coming Untied as Jack White's confidence disintegrated - aided by his abortive free throw shooting - and unable to find a reliable scoring avenue.

Matthew Dellavedova paired 13 points with 12 assists, and Marcus Lee hammered down 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting but once the tide turned in this one, Melbourne was washed away and left looking decidedly wet. It's only saving grace that those old reliable Adelaide 36ers already lost a playoff game after blowing a bigger lead, 21 to South East Melbourne.

But two factors did emerge. Melbourne coach Dean Vickerman has his work cut out ahead of Game 3 ... and Andrew Vlahov knows his basketball.

NBL SEMI FINALS (2v3) MELBOURNE UNITED v PERTH WILDCATS

Game 1 - Melbourne United 105 (Goulding 41, Clark 22, White 13, Lee 10; White 10 rebs; Dellavedova 9 assts) d Perth Wildcats 93 (Pinder 24, Cotton, Doolittle 22; Pinder 11 rebs; Cotton 6 assts) at John Cain Arena, Melbourne. Crowd: 7,473. Melbourne leads best-of-three series 1-0

Game 2 - Perth Wildcats 96 (Windler 27, Cotton 18, Doolittle 17, Webster 13, Wagstaff 10; Doolittle, Windler 11 rebs; Doolittle 6 assts) d Melbourne United 89 (Goulding 15, White, Clark, Dellavedova 13, Lee 10; Dellavedova 8 rebs; Dellavedova 12 assts) at RAC Arena, Perth. Crowd: 12,961 Series tied 1-1

Game 3- Tuesday, March 4, John Cain Arena, Melbourne, 7:30pm AEDT

NBL SEMI FINALS (1v4) ILLAWARRA HAWKS v SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX

Game 1 - Illawarra Hawks 101 (Kell, Harvey 24, Blanchfield 16, Froling 10; Kell 10 rebs; Hickey 7 assts) d South East Melbourne Phoenix 94 (Wieskamp 22, Sobey 17, Walton 15, Hurt 10; Sobey 9 rebs; Walton 11 assts) at WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong. Crowd: 5,491 Illawarra leads best-of-three series 1-0

Game 2 - Sunday, March 2, John Cain Arena, Melbourne, 2:30pm AEDT

Game 3 (if required) - Wednesday, March 5, WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong, 7:30pm