Stunning JackJumpers comeback to beat Kings

The Tasmania JackJumpers have pulled off one of their most stunning comeback performances to dominate the fourth quarter with 26 of the game's last 30 points to beat the Sydney Kings 84-76 on Sunday.

Both teams came into their first meeting since last season's Grand Final series in good form with the Kings fresh off a big win on the road to the New Zealand Breakers on Thursday while the JackJumpers had won their last two.

There was then precious little that separated the two teams for most of the first three quarters, until Xavier Cooks turned playmaker for the Kings and the game turned in his team's favour.

He inspired Sydney to score 11 of the last 12 points of the third quarter with some brilliant set up passes for Kouat Noi and DJ Vasiljevic. 

That helped the Kings lead by as much as 14 early in the fourth quarter and really, there was no sign of what was to come but the JackJumpers produced a simply phenomenal final eight minutes.

“We came in quite scrappy, but we held ourselves well enough in that 3^rd to survive. It wasn’t pretty, they had some moments and we missed some assignments, but we were able to grind it out in that 4^th quarter” Head Coach Scott Roth said.

Tasmania held Sydney to just four more points the rest of the way while scoring 26 points themselves to go from 14 down to end up winning by eight in what could be their standout victory in their already remarkable short history.

Milton Doyle and Jack McVeigh were the architects of the incredible 26-4 finish to the game combining for 16 of those points including three triples from McVeigh and another to Doyle who continues to put himself in the MVP discussion.

Doyle ended the game with 25 points, six rebounds and four assists for Tasmania with 5/10 three-point shooting while McVeigh ended up going 4/9 for 18 points and nine boards. 

"It's just been finding [Doyle's] comfort levels with the guys. Having Magnay on the floor has been helpful to him, having a big target. And then McVeigh spacing the floor but they're starting to gel a little bit better" Roth said. 

Rashard Kelly added 11 points and three rebounds, Sean Macdonald 10 points and three boards, Will Magnay eight points and six rebounds, and Josh Magette seven points, six assists and three steals.

JackJumpers coach Scott Roth couldn’t have been prouder of his team's fighting effort.

"We were just relentless," he said.

"These guys continue to find value in each other, love each other and our motto always is to defend the island and play as hard as they can. 

"They came in here quite scrappy and we held ourselves well enough together in the third to survive even though it wasn’t pretty. It was just a gutty effort in the fourth quarter and the whole group was relentless. I'm quite proud of them."

A Milton Doyle triple early on helped Tasmania to the 5-2 lead but DJ Vasiljevic soon put Sydney on top with the lead continuing to fluctuate throughout the opening period.

The JackJumpers forced the Kings into seven turnovers and did live and die by the three ball going 4/13 as a team. Sydney only went 0/3 but shot 64 per cent from the field to stay close with Tasmania up 23-21 after one.

Jack McVeigh drained a three to open the second quarter and put Tasmania up five but a 6-0 run soon after from Sydney had the reigning champs back on top. 

Not long after and another three from Doyle had the JackJumpers leading by five once more before Sydney closed the gap again and by half-time the teams couldn’t be separated at 39-39.

While the Kings were shooting 55 per cent from the floor to 36, the JackJumpers made 6/23 from three with the Kings missing all six of their attempts.

It was Sydney's big men Tim Soares and Xavier Cooks who pulled their team out to an eight-point lead to start the second half, but as the JackJumpers do, they responded. 

A Doyle three-pointer had them back within two heading towards three quarter-time, but before that the Kings made the game-changing run and it was all sparked by Cooks setting up his teammates by turning playmaker.

He found Kouat Noi and Vasiljevic for crucial baskets to close the quarter with the Kings going on an 11-1 run to take a 12-point edge into the fourth quarter.

Sydney's lead grew to 14 to start the final period before two buckets for Tasmania to Josh Magette and Sean Macdonald had Chase Buford calling for time.The JackJumpers scored first after that to close to within eight and suddenly another basket to Doyle and then three to McVeigh and it was a three-point ball game.

Another triple from McVeigh soon after had it back to two and the JackJumpers weren’t done. They continued to hound Sydney into missed shots and turnovers, and kept making big shots.

Doyle's free-throws tied scores up before monster three-pointers to Doyle and McVeigh gave Tasmania a six-point lead with 40 seconds to go.

Magnay's free-throws pushed it out to eight soon after and Tasmania went on to win by that margin on the back of the most remarkable final eight minutes where they outscored the Kings 26 points to four.

The JackJumpers return home, for the first time in over a month, to host the Cairns Taipans on Saturday night at MyState Bank Arena.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 10

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 84 (Doyle 25, McVeigh 18, Kelly 11) 

SYDNEY KINGS 76 (Walton Jr 21, Vasiljevic 17, Cooks 12)

BOX SCORE