South East Melbourne have sounded a warning to the rest of the NBL competition with an 11-point upset win over ladder leaders Melbourne United that tightens their grip on a finals berth.
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Import guard Keifer Sykes was the standout with 26 points off 10-from-18 shooting as the Phoenix made it three wins on the trot with an impressive 94-83 victory at John Cain Arena on Sunday.
"I'm just so tired of hearing people say that we're inconsistent, how bad we are and this and that, when we're really good, we're actually really good," Sykes said.
"And we're only going to continue to get better and that's scary for other guys."
Mitch Creek couldn't muster a single point in his side's loss to United in round 17, but the star made a welcome return to form with 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Key United playmaker Chris Goulding copped a knock in the first quarter and had a quiet outing, finishing with 13 points as centre Jock Landale led the way with 19 points.
"Chris took a little hit early in the game and he lost a bit of feeling in his left side," United coach Dean Vickerman said.
"So we didn't get the minutes or production out of him."
The result improves third-placed Phoenix to a 17-14 record, but they remain in a dogfight for a top-four finish with five regular season games remaining, while United remain top but slip to a 23-7 record.
It was the fifth and final meeting of Melbourne's NBL franchises in the regular season, with United holding bragging rights despite the loss with three wins and two losses.
The Phoenix were lively from the outset, with Mitchell's men keen to play an aggressive, up-tempo style, but United were up to the challenge, a Scotty Hopson dunk tying it at 20-20 at the first break.
The entertaining shootout continued in the second, Landale leading all scorers with 12 points as the first half ended 43-43.
Sykes was prominent in the third quarter as the Phoenix made their move, jumping out to a then game-high lead at 71-63 at the last break.
Alarm bells were ringing for the title favourites as the Phoenix went on a 6-0 run to start the fourth to blow the margin out to 14.
Goulding hit his only three-pointer of the contest to keep his side in it, but the Phoenix finished strongly for a well-deserved win.
United will now head off on a three-game road trip starting with a clash with the Hawks in Wollongong on Tuesday night, while the Phoenix will travel to Brisbane to take on the Bullets on Saturday night.
Australian Associated Press
