Game day program Round 18 Hawks

MELBOURNE
UNITED TALK
DUNK OF THE YEAR
It all came down to a split second
decision. Casper Ware had the ball in
hand, Carrick Felix to his left and chasing
defenders to his right.
He knew he had two options and both of
them involved passing to Felix, his superathletic
Melbourne United teammate.
Ware could hold the ball and throw a lob
pass high above the rim or he can flick a
short pass to Felix and let him attack the
hoop.
He decided the latter and luckily he did
as Felix would catch the pass, make a
two-footed take-off and throw down a twohanded
power dunk over the outstretched
hands of New Zealand Breakers star
Thomas Abercrombie, possibly the best
transition shot blocker in the NBL.
It will take an almighty effort to beat out
the play as dunk of the season and Hisense
Arena has rarely been louder than the
moment Felix completed the play.
“I was thinking how am I going to get this to
him,” Ware said.
“Do I throw up the lob or just lay it off to him
so I played it safe and just laid it off back to
him and he finished it.
“Carrick is probably the best athlete we have
in the NBL right now and I knew once I got it
to him he was going to throw it in.”
Felix came into the game knowing it could
possibly be his last in a Melbourne uniform
as he only joined the side as an injury
replacement for Casey Prather.
He also had struggled with his form in
recent weeks with coach Dean Vickerman
speaking to him during the week about
thinking less and playing more on instinct.
That mindset was very much on show in
Felix’s blocks, steals, rebounds and dunks
during the win over the Breakers.
“The guys are supportive and I’ve been
playing kind of bad lately but the guys have
picked me up and supported me,” Felix said.
Felix said he had very little recollection of
the play beyond being impressed Ware had
found a pass which allowed him to stay in
stride.
11 Game Day Program