Basketball On The Internet.

JUST when it appeared as if South East Melbourne's Angus Glover was about to produce an NBL career game, Tasmania's returning David Johnson bobbed up to remind everyone why last season the JackJumpers' import duo was rated among the league's finest, until injury cut them down.

Compiling 26 points at 67 per cent, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, Johnson led the JJs back and on to a 96-91 home victory in one of the most compelling individual performances of the first round.

And it wasn't without controversy, D'Shawn Schwartz stealing the ball from Nick Marshall, the latter fouling him in the new "disruptive foul" - formerly "unsportsmanlike" - category.

Tasmania leading 91-89 after Phoenix import guard Skylar Mays swished a 3-pointer, the free throws would be vital. But Mays went to the line and shot the first. Big mistake. Huge.

As the fouled player, Schwartz should have taken the free throw but by Mays stepping in, which is illegal, the free throw was not only disallowed but the Jackies awarded the ball in the backcourt.

Marshall clinched the contest with a delightful floating hoop for a 93-89 lead, Yannis Morin reducing that to 91-93 with a tip-in, but with a last-gasp foul by Glover on Johnson compounded with a technical for a particularly heinous flop by Mays it meant this one would be closed out at the stripe.

South East roared away in the second quarter, leading by 16 (52-36) on the back of some sizzling long-range shooting by Glover. At one point he drilled 13 consecutive points as the Phoenix took a 14-point buffer into halftime.

Down Josh Bannan, Anthony Drmic, Ben Ayre and Bryce Hamilton - Johnson's brilliant import partner last season who is not due back until mid-season - it did not look positive for Tasmania.

But Taran Armstrong (19 points at 62 per cent) and Johnson had different ideas as the Phoenix began to fatigue, having played in Perth on Saturday.

Will Magnay (14 points, 6 assists), Dakota Mathias (14 points) and Marshall (10 points) were quick to join the party, Tasmania also drawing important minutes from Ben Gold.

Magnay had just one block but it was a timely late gem on a Mays drive while Armstrong's coast-to-coast driving dunk in the first half was only barely eclipsed by Johnson's similar play in the second.

Round 1, Monday Result

Tasmania JackJumpers 96 (Johnson 26, Armstrong 19, Magnay, Mathias 14, Marshall 10; Johnson, mathias 6 rebs; Johnson 6 assts) d South East Melbourne Phoenix 91 (Glover 21, Mays 18, Schwartz 12, Daniels 11; Goodrick, Mays 6 rebs; Daniels 4 assts) at Mystate Bank Arena.

Tuesday: New Zealand at Brisbane