NBL Grand Final: Tasmania’s Jack McVeigh has produced the ‘miracle of miracles’ to give his JackJumpers a 2-1 series lead

Behind 90-91 with the clock rapidly ticking down and the JackJumpers’ Jack McVeigh created a shot that will go down in NBL history as one of the greatest ever clutch baskets ever seen to steal victory from Melbourne United in game three.

A hail Mary three-point shot from Jack McVeigh with two seconds left on the clock saw Tasmania JackJumpers steal game three from Melbourne United at the death and take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five NBL Championship Series at John Cain Arena on Sunday.

McVeigh, playing his 100th game for the JackJumpers, crossed half court and unleashed a shot for the ages near the mid-court logo.

It was a fitting end to a game three that was full of highlights.

McVeigh, who had 18 points and 12 rebounds in his 100th game for the JackJumpers, crossed half court and unleashed a shot for the ages near the midcourt logo to give the JackJumpers a 93-91 victory.

JackJumpers coach Scott Roth said McVeigh’s miracle shot will be talked about forever more in franchise history, but only if his team goes on to win the championship.

“It was obviously a hell of a shot that Jack made,” he said.

“I feel for them over there to be quite honest with you because I’ve lost games like that when you think you have it and something like that happens but our determination and grit was on display, the fight was really good.

“It’s just another shot, if we happen to somehow go on and win a championship, they’ll talk about it, but right now it’s just another half court shot that went in.

“He’s had two of them this year and he’s just one of those guys that loves those kinds of moments and obviously we’re not scripting any of that, it just happened.”

This was a JackJumpers team with the odds stacked against them, facing a United side that had won its previous 10 games at John Cain Arena and their last 13 games following a loss.

But this Jackies team is made of tough stuff and were not going to lie down.

They relish the chance to upset United, having now won eight of their past 11 games head to head.

The JackJumpers return home and have the chance to clinch a first championship in franchise history in game four.

This would not have been possible if it was not for a fourth quarter onslaught from Majok Deng.

Replacing the injured Marcus Lee, who copped some friendly fire in the third quarter, Deng was incredible in the fourth with 15 points on 5/6 shooting.

Deng was scoreless up until that point.

Majok Deng was on fire in the fourth quarter. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

United has some work to do after their first back to back loss in 475 days if they want to climb to the top of the mountain for the first time since 2020-21.

Melbourne United coach Dean Vickerman said the JackJumpers deploying a small ball lineup changed the game in the fourth.

That occurred somewhat through necessity with Marcus Lee going down injured in the third.

“They took a massive swing at the start of the fourth quarter with him [Lee] being out and went small, [used] a stretch five,” Vickerman said.

“It’s been something that we’ve been talking about all year, do we match it or do we try to take advantage of it down the other end?

“I think the other night in the series when they went there, we established a pretty good lead through that period when he [Deng] was in the game, tonight he was exceptional in the way he got himself open, the way he attacked the rim and shot the basketball, so that was a big problem for us.”

Melbourne raced out to an early 11-point lead with the JackJumpers stuck on the starting grid.

Veteran guard Matthew Dellavedova, top scorer in the game with 21 points and eight assists, had United all fired up with eight first quarter points while his team shot at an efficient 58% for the quarter.

Down by just five at quarter time despite being outplayed, the JackJumpers maintained touch with threes to Jack McVeigh and Milton Doyle.

Will the JackJumpers get it done in game 4? Picture: Getty Images

The JackJumpers ramped up the pressure on the defensive end and at times it looked like there was a lid on the United hoop as their efficiency dipped.

With Jordan Crawford quiet in the first half, young gun Sean MacDonald emerged off the bench to provide valuable offensive punch from the guard position as the JackJumpers came all the way back to level the scores late in the second.

The JackJumpers picked apart the United defence in the second, finding open shots from three, with Doyle the main beneficiary with 11 first half points, helping his team to a lead.

But it was United leading by a slender 44-43 at half time courtesy of a Chris Goulding buzzer beating bank shot.

The third quarter was a feast for the eyes as the teams punched and countered.

A prayer shot from Shea Ili had United up four, but McVeigh, in his 100th club game, loomed as a threat for the visitors.

Dellavedova, calling the shots from United, unleashed Luke Travers for an alley-oop bucket, while Travers was a menace on the defensive end, playing a huge role in the change of momentum as United went to three quarter time with a 69-62 lead.

It took a mere 74 seconds for the JackJumpers to erase the seven-point deficit.

Deng was a wildcard up the sleeve of JJs coach Scott Roth, landing two threes and a massive dunk, before McVeigh’s match winner.

Dellavedova attempts to shoot over Milton Doyle. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

Friendly fire

In a tough break, centre Marcus Lee became a victim of some friendly fire in the third period.

Lee got caught under teammate Crawford, who cannonballed into his leg.

Cut out the theatrics

There has been a little too much staging during this championship series.

There have been times when the rewards have been juicy enough for the players to resort to flopping.

Will Magnay picked up a technical foul in the second period for going down a little too easily after contact from Matthew Dellavedova and rightly so, but he could feel hard done by because he was certainly not the first player to flop before being hit with a T.

SCOREBOARD

Melbourne United 91 (Dellavedova 21 Goulding 17 Travers 14) defeated Tasmania JackJumpers 93 (McVeigh 18 Deng 15 Doyle 14 Crawford 14), at John Cain Arena, Melbourne

Originally published as NBL Grand Final: Tasmania’s Jack McVeigh has produced the ‘miracle of miracles’ to give his JackJumpers a 2-1 series lead