Basketball On The Internet.

WHAT a fantastic, sold-out show the Kenny Wiggins Trio delivered last night in Hobart, including all of their greatest hits such as Something Stupid, Killing Me Softly and of course, the ultimate I've Got You Under My Skin. This was a show for the ages, or at least it took ages as the refs once again ruined an NBL thriller.

Last time in Hobart, there was the new interpretation of the flagrant foul rule the refs stuffed up but ultimately was blamed on SEM import Skylar Mays for being the wrong guy to shoot a free throw (after a ref handed him the ball to do so...)

This time it was only the play of Tasmania captain Will Magnay (17 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks) in his 100th game for the JackJumpers which salvaged an 84-82 win over Melbourne.

And he clinched the game from where he has been most vulnerable throughout his career - the free throw line.

Magnay sank 12-of-14 freebies, in itself remarkable but in context of this game where there were 72 free throw attempts from just under 60 fouls called, only his success rate was a surprise. (Shows what happens when you practice kiddies).

In arguably the most poorly officiated game of the season, and that's from go-to-whoa, as opposed to isolating a ridiculous non-call such as Cairns' Keanu Pinder mugging Dakota Mathias in the previous round, confusion and frustration reigned in equal measure.

As in, was there a sub, wasn't there a sub? Have a tech foul for good measure. Does this scene look as if anyone knows what these umpies are conjuring?

Seriously, where the hell did the NBL find some of these new officiating faces, a recycling bin somewhere?

Right at a time when the NBL, with its hybrid US and European style of game makes it arguably the most watchable league in the world, it foists us all with the worst overall batch of referees we have ever seen and who seemingly are hellbent on making games as unwatchable as feasibly possible.

We don't need KAYO to stuff up game coverage. We have officials on-site to do that! Crazy crap was happening right from tip-off, United fouling into bonus by the 7:44 mark, 18 fouls called for the period, 27 free throw attempts awarded.

Oh, and just so you comprehend just how consistent the Kenny Wiggins Trio was, United did not have a single foul in the third quarter. Zero. Zip. Nada.

But I digress. United coach Jacob Chance, channelling his inner Marty Clarke, had 11 players on court in the first quarter - that's 22 parents that would have been very pleased ... if it was an under-10 game.

Josh Bannan, David Johnson and Ben Gold - who is one of the finds of the off-season - all fouled out for Tassie and Magnay carried four fouls to the siren. Cole Anthony, Josh Oduro and Luke Travers all fouled out for Melbourne, Sam Waardenburg surviving on four to the bell.

A tech foul on Anthony - who has started to play like an entitled "Do you know who I am?" type - with just over two minutes left, led to Kody Stattmann and Mathias free throws and a 78-70 JJs lead.

It looked over, but Travers, who struggled all night with foul woes, suddenly peeled off six straight points, Waardenburg completed a three-point play and with 1:18 left and in the blink of an eye, United led 79-78.

Magnay, ice in his veins, went to the free throw line twice and knocked down all four penalties for Tasmania to lead 82-79. But Joe Ingles (18 points, 5 assists) dished the ball to Waardenburg and his 3-pointer tied it at 82-82.

Time-out taken, Armstrong drove hard on Melbourne rookie Austin Shelley to hit the winning basket in a chaotic finish. Shelley played that defensively as well as anyone his size possibly could but Armstrong was never missing, while a more experienced United defender was.

The match ended with final renditions of Ain't That a Kick in the Head and the classic Something's Gotta Give. Hopefully it will be the officiating ranks throwing up something more palatable than this disgraceful self-serving officiating embarrassment.

Round 3 Results, Thursday

Tasmania JackJumpers 84 (Magnay 17, Johnson 16, Mathias 13, Armstrong 12; Magnay 11 rebs; Armstrong 6 assts) d Melbourne United 82 (Oduro 22, Ingles 18, Waardenburg 12, Travers, Anthony 11; Oduro, Waardenburg 8 rebs; Travers 6 assts) at MyState Bank Arena.

Friday: 36ers at Hawks, Phoenix at Wildcats