How's that for an encore!
TweetHE started quietly alright but Ebi Ere, Mitch Creek and Anthony Petrie didn't let Melbourne get away too far.
So when the second half unwound and it was "Randle time", Jerome Randle took the 36ers to the next level in front of another 6,950-strong crowd at Titanium Security Arena.
He bamboozled, befuddled and broke the heart of a Melbourne team doing its best despite coach Dean Demopoulos' bewildering sideline antics, personnel changes and play calls.
He split the United D, he shot over it, went under it and eventually compiled a game-high 26 points, with an equal game-high five assists - pretty sure the stats folks missed a few - as Adelaide won its sixth straight game, beating the NBL leader 90-81.
Daniel Kickert started well and Todd Blanchfield was a rock throughout but when the avalanche came, United had no answers.
A team boasting Chris Goulding and offensive weapons in abundance, could not make a basket in the final 6:40 of action!
Think about that. Blanchfield hit a three and had a putback dunk with 6:40 left, and they didn't score again. United went 2-of-17 for the quarter, scoring a total of 9 points, the other four coming from Hakim Warrick's 4-of-6 free throws.
Ere (above) struck in the first quarter with 10 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting, then Mitch Creek had a purple patch in the second. But it was the defence in that fourth quarter that left Melbourne with nowhere to go, Creek leading by example but Adam Gibson effective against Goulding and Petrie solid all night.
Creek (above) has become more than a spark off the bench and Ere resembling his former dual-championship-winning self have had a lot to do with Adelaide's resurgence.
Daniel Johnson grabbed 11 boards and his 10-point third period ignited Adelaide when Melbourne seemed to have the edge.
But Randle was the story and for almost 7,000 fans, the fairytale finish was what they paid to see.
Tonight: DOES Cairns really believe it has a top four shot when it is languishing on a 9-13 record? Does New Zealand want to defend its championship in the playoffs? Can last year's grand finalists both miss the finals this season? It's on the cards for sure. What we have tonight is definitely the Taipans' last chance to make a playoff run against a stumbling Breakers outfit which has to pull itself together sometime, surely. Pride alone should ignite New Zealand after its dismal showing in Townsville but I tipped Cairns earlier in the week and I'm sticking with the Orangemen to squeeze some life into their dreams.
Last night ADELAIDE 36ERS 90 (Randle 26, Ere 16, Creek 15, Johnson 14; Johnson, Petrie 11 rebs; Petrie, Randle 5 assts) d MELBOURNE UNITED 81 (Blanchfield 15, Kickert, Goulding 12, Warrick 11, Holt 10; Goulding 9 rebs; Tomlinson 4 assts) at The Fortress, Titanium Security Arena.
TOMORROW: Flashback time with some old pics for your perusal.