Basketball On The Internet.

TASMANIA turned the tables on Melbourne United in Game 2 of the best-of-five NBL Grand Finals tonight in Hobart, the JackJumpers giving them a devilish time, Jack McVeigh leading the way with 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a block in a series-tying 82-77 win.

The most intriguing aspect of the win was just how many pundits and "experts" (on the mainland) gave the Jackies no chance after their 81-104 road loss to United in Game 1.

Zero consideration was given to how much the Perth semi final series might have taken out of them - emotionally as well as physically - or that they were back on the road again against a battle-and-championship hardened outfit, primed and ready to exert its will.

Not to put too fine a point on it but, other than its series against Cairns, Melbourne was by far the most consistent, deep, talented, well-coached, impressive team of Season 2023-24. By far.

That doesn't guarantee United the championship or anything, but it gave them a definite head start in Game 1. 

To hear supposed wise heads cranking out piffle such as "81 won't be good enough to win Tasmania the game", as if their 81-point total in Game 1 was season-defining, gave great insight into how underestimated Tasmania remains on and by mainland Australia.

Sure, "81 won't get it done" when the opposition scores 104, but even 82 was enough to "get it done" when the opposition was held to 77.

There's just so much relentless puerile shite masquarading as analysis at this time of year that it's mind-blowing.

Game 2 opened with much-maligned - and probably rightly so - JJs import Jordon Crawford regaining his AWOL shooting touch in a 13-point first quarter outburst that saw him hit the match's opening corner threeball.

Already it was evident Game 2 would not replicate Game 1, although once again Melbourne's defensive strategies against Jack McVeigh and Milton Doyle were on song.

Doyle copped different defensive looks while Luke Travers was largely responsible for curtailing McVeigh's potential impact, that 23-23 first period moving in United's direction with their 21-17 second quarter.

An 11-0 start to the third, sandwiched between a Chris Goulding 3-pointer (19 points at 42 per cent, 3-of-6 triples) and a Shea Ili (20 points at 67 per cent) 3-pointer - Ili was just amazing again, still so under-rated - burst Melbourne to a match-high 55-40 buffer.

But the JackJumpers were not ready to receive the last rites just yet, McVeigh's three showing there was life in Tassie.

A three by Anthony Drmic, then another by McVeigh and the grind back was growing exponentially. Drmic struck his triple at 4:47 for 48-58, the scores staying locked there till McVeigh's three at 2:41. 

That was a lot of stops by both teams for no offensive reward. But Marcus Lee with a three-point play - how good was his earlier defensive block at one end, run the split line for a dunk play? - had the Jackies back within touch at 54-58.

Matthew Dellavedova's basket had the lead back to five, Sean MacDonald trimming it to 60-63 with a period to play.

You can never question Dellavedova's commitment or effort but the further this went, the more expensive he became, Jo Lual-Acuil's regular disinterest also of no help to Melbourne's cause, United basically carried by Ili, and to a lesser extent, Goulding and Travers.

McVeigh was the one who tied it in the last, Will Magnay also active as Tassie took the lead before an Ian Clark triple restored it for Melbourne.

But 69-68 was United's last lead, Doyle regaining it for the Jackies, then Magnay's dunk and McVeigh's basket bumping it out to 74-69.

Ili would continue to drive and score to keep United's heart beating but a crucial unsportsmanlike foul by Dellavedova ensured Tasmania maintained its lead and when he travelled after Doyle missed two free throws at 80-77, the series was heading back to Melbourne at 1-1.

Trot out all the "now we have a series" assessments - as if we didn't previously - with the torch now shining on United and how the JackJumpers held them to 33 second-half points (19 and 14). But has everything suddenly changed so much?

Let's be frank. Tasmania isn't as injured as it was in the championship two years ago when Dejan Vasiljevic's big late 3-pointer sent Sydney home with a 2-0 lead. This has always been a series. The only knee-jerking about it occurs on the mainland.

NBL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (Best-of-5 Grand Final)

Game 2: TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 82 (McVeigh 16, MacDonald, Crawford, Doyle 13; Doyle 10 rebs; Crawford, McVeigh 4 assts) d MELBOURNE UNITED 77 (Ili 20, Goulding 19, Lual-Acuil 9; Lual-Acuil 11 rebs; Dellavedova 7 assts) at MyState Bank Arena. Crowd: 4,340

Game 1: MELBOURNE UNITED 104 (Goulding 22, Lual-Acuil 20, Clark 18, Dellavedova 11; Lual-Acuil 11 rebs; Dellavedova 6 assts) d TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 81 (Drmic 18, Doyle 16, McVeigh 13, Magnay 10; Doyle 8 rebs; MacDonald, McVeigh 3 assts) at John Cain Arena. Crowd: 9,108

Series tied 1-1, Game 3 in Melbourne on Sunday