NBL Finals: The Tasmania JackJumpers have levelled the series against Perth Wildcats 1-1 without their star American import
Marcus Lee was in attendance, but he could only watch on, as his JackJumpers lifted to defeat the Perth Wildcats by eight points at MyState Bank Arena in Hobart, keeping the championship dream alive.
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Tasmania has ensured both the NBL’s semi-final series will head to a deciding game three with a 102-94 win over Perth at MyState Bank Arena on Monday night.
After the Wildcats took game one 89-81, it was the JackJumpers that responded with an eight-point game two win despite missing starting centre Marcus Lee.
Lee was handed a one-match suspension following a Perth-requested game review charge over the weekend, stemming from an unsportsmanlike foul on Jordan Usher late in last Friday’s game.
But the absence of the import American wasn’t enough to stop the home side with vice-captain Jack McVeigh (22 points and five rebounds) and star Milton Doyle (24 points, six rebounds and two assists) leading Tasmania to victory.
NBL24 MVP Bryce Cotton responded from a quiet game one to finish with 26 points, two rebounds and two assists but was well held by Sean Macdonald (12 points, three rebounds and five assists) after half-time.
Macdonald provided the ultimate spark on both offence and defence off the bench but he wasn’t alone.
Majok Deng (18 points, five rebounds and two assists) produced his best game for Tasmania and along with McVeigh, found the basket throughout the opening half to keep the JackJumpers in the game.
It was a hot and fiery start to the contest that boiled over early with a tense battle between Cotton and Anthony Drmic.
After a push and shove between the pair that threatened to boil over, Cotton fouled Drmic on the next play to bring an already unruly home crowd to an almost deafening level.
But despite the backing of MyState Bank Arena it was the visitors who ended the first quarter with a 29-21 lead.
After a stellar game one performance last Friday, Keanu Pinder left the game early in the second quarter following a heavy collision with Magnay.
Back-to-back threes from Doyle and Deng then cut the margin to four before another hot streak from the Wildcats ended with a Clint Steindl three for Tasmania on the buzzer.
With the Wildcats up by five at the half, Pinder returned to the game to start the third but quickly left after picking up his third and fourth fouls of the game before eventually fouling out early in the last quarter.
That left Doyle to play like a man possessed in the third, draining three consecutive long range shots that saw Tasmania take the lead for the first time in the contest.
A 15-point quarter from the star American gave the JackJumpers a one-point lead at the final change with a 28-21 fourth quarter locking in the victory.
Tasmania’s win saw them send a semi-final series to a deciding game three for the third straight season with the two sides now playing off for a spot in the NBL championship series with the series tied at 1-1.
Game three will be on Wednesday night at RAC Arena.
Originally published as NBL Finals: The Tasmania JackJumpers have levelled the series against Perth Wildcats 1-1 without their star American import
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