A shocking fourth-quarter surge from the Tasmania JackJumpers has handed the second-year franchise an important 85-77 highway win over Cairns Taipans to maintain them within the body for back-to-back NBL playoff appearances.
The JackJumpers poured within the last 11 factors of Friday night time’s conflict at Cairns Convention Centre and held the Taipans scoreless for nearly 5 minutes to deliver the house facet’s quest for a franchise-best seventh successive victory to a screeching halt.
After DJ Hogg’s three-pointer handed the Taipans a 77-74 lead with 4:52 to play, Jack McVeigh got here up large for the JackJumpers with back-to-back triples and Milton Doyle clinched the end result with an extended bomb as Cairns missed their last 9 photographs of the sport.
McVeigh scored 11 of his team-high 18-points within the fourth quarter to encourage Tasmania to their 14th win of the season as they transfer forward of Perth (12-10) into fourth spot and keep one recreation away from sixth-placed South East Melbourne Phoenix and seventh-ranked Melbourne United (each on 13-12).
“The boys trust me, I love fourth quarters and big wins. I mean, this is the time of the year where basketball is at its best,” McVeigh informed ESPN after his match-winning flip.
Tasmania can earn a double-chance within the league’s Play-In Tournament in the event that they end the common season in third or fourth spot however must preserve successful and capitalise on losses from both New Zealand (13-10) or the Wildcats.
“We want that top four. I mean, you want two games to try and get to those semi-finals and we’re rolling, playing good basketball right now,” McVeigh added forward of powerful dwelling assignments towards Sydney and Perth earlier than closing on the highway towards Illawarra.
After buying and selling three-pointers within the opening minutes, the matchup between two of the highest defences within the league produced an error-riddled first half with the Taipans and JackJumpers committing a mixed 26 turnovers within the opening 20 minutes, in comparison with a complete of twenty-two made baskets.
A 12-0 scoring run handed the Taipans a 17-14 edge after one quarter however Tasmania then restricted Cairns to 13 factors within the second interval to take a 34-30 benefit into the principle break, reserve guard Matt Kenyon turning into a key contributor for the JackJumpers to steer all scorers with 11 factors.
After main by 4 factors at halftime, Tasmania burst out to a 12-point lead within the third quarter however long-range marksman Jonah Antonio sparked the house facet with a pair of three-pointers and the Taipans opened the fourth stanza with eight straight factors to regain the lead.
But Cairns fell brief regardless of robust finishes from Hogg and Bul Kuol (17 factors apiece), although the return of Keanu Pinder from a six-game absence will enhance their probabilities of securing a top-two end.
