Championship Series Game 4 preview

Tasmania JackJumpers V Melbourne United

Championship Series Game 4

Thursday March 28, 7.30pm tip-off AEDT

MyState Bank Arena

Watch LIVE on ESPN via Kayo Sports & Foxtel

 

State of Play

Tasmania are on the cusp of history. One win away from an inaugural NBL Championship in front of a raucous home crowd.

It’s what fairytales are made of, but Tasmania are no dreamers, they know how hard it is to play finals let alone place two hands on the trophy.

Riding high on the back of Jack McVeigh’s magical buzzer beater in Game 3,the JackJumpers will have the full force of a small, but mighty ant army in Game 4 as they Defend the Island on home soil for the final time this season.

Melbourne United are too experienced and too desperate to lay down and let that fairytale unfold, and Tassie will be forced to Defend the Island without big man Marcus Lee after he tore his MCL in Game 3.

One thing is for sure - its set to be another Championship epic at MyState Bank Arena.

 

Last time they met  

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GAME 3 – MARCH 24

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 82 (McVeigh 16, Crawford 13, Doyle 13, Macdonald 13)

MELBOURNE UNITED 77 (Ili 20, Goulding 19, Lual-Acuil Jr 9)

 

SERIES SUMMARY

Game 1
Melbourne emerged as 23-point winners from the Championship Series opener, in a game where Tasmania looked competitive in the first quarter but buckled under United’s defensive pressure as the game wore on.

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr was named Foot Locker Player of the Game for his dominant performance inside, while Chris Goulding hit six threes en route to a game-high 22 points.

Luke Travers has been near-universally praised for his defensive performance on Jack McVeigh, and ended the game with four blocks.

Will Magnay played just 13 minutes due to picking up four fouls over his short time on court, while Anthony Drmic top scored for Tasmania with 18 points.

Jordon Crawford’s poor run of shooting form continued, and he finished the game with seven points on 3-13 shooting.

 

Game 2
Tasmania travelled back to MyState Bank Arena to defend the island in Game 2 of the Championship Series, and a surging comeback from a 15-point deficit saw the JackJumpers emerge from Friday’s clash with a hard-fought and emotional five-point win.

Jordon Crawford shot the lights out in the first quarter with 13 points in the opening term alone, but quietened late and remained sat on the bench in favour of Sean Macdonald down the stretch.

Only Milton Doyle and Jack McVeigh ended the game having played more minutes than Macdonald for Tasmania, and the development player added 13 points and a staunch rearguard action in the win.

Melbourne found itself in foul trouble in the second half, and all three of Jo Lual-Acuil Jr, Shea Ili and Ian Clark fouled out of the game, while Matthew Dellavedova and Chris Goulding ended the clash with three fouls apiece.

Ili was the game’s top scorer with 20 points, while Goulding ended the clash with 19.

 

Game 3
Melbourne United continued their run of leading for most of the game but stumbling at the final hurdle in Game 3, as a near-half court Jack McVeigh game-winner flipped the series into Tasmania’s hands.

Untied has, at this point, been in the leading position for 77 per cent of the series, but fell to comeback defeats in games two and three.

Majok Deng hailed himself as ‘the forgotten one’ following his stellar fourth quarter performance in the victory. He scored 15 points in the final term alone as Marcus Lee exited the game with an apparent knee injury.

Matthew Dellavedova top scored for United with 21 points and eight assists, while McVeigh’s last gasp triple saw him lead the JackJumpers with 18 points.

Marcus Lee was ruled out of the remainder of the Championship Series due to injury in the aftermath of the game.

 

 

Ins & outs 

Tasmania JackJumpers: Marcus Lee (knee)

Melbourne United: TBC

 

SRT Logistics Coaches’ take

Head Coach Scott Roth said “We’ll put in Lachie Barker tomorrow as a replacement, and I have no fear in playing Lachie Barker tomorrow,” Roth continued.

“All of our guys put in the work during the course of the season, everyone has confidence within and if we try to scratch out a few minutes here or there from different guys, that’s their job.

“That’s what we’re expecting from them and we’ll function the way we’ve always functioned – do it as a team.

“All our guys are ready to go.

Opponents on the Radar

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr - The big man was brilliant in game one but has dropped off the pace since. Lual-Acuil Jr must fire to put United on the front foot and to capitalise on Marcus Lee's absence for Tassie.