Drinkwise Preview: NBL24 Championship Series, Game 2 vs Tasmania JackJumpers

Following an emphatic 23-point demolition of the JackJumpers in Game 1 of the Championship series, Melbourne United will look for another huge win on Friday evening against Tasmania.

The Game 1 drubbing was the fourth largest Championship series victory of the 40-minute era, and has provided Melbourne with a tidal wave of momentum heading into Game 2.

In order to potentially take a 2-0 series lead, United will have to overcome the JJs once again, this time in front of their always energetic home crowd.

Melbourne have been relatively successful at MyState Bank Arena in the past, winning three of their six games in Tasmania over the past three seasons, including an eight-point W in Round 5.

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PLAYER TO WATCH

After registering a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double in Game 1, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr will be eager to continue his hot form when he steps foot on the JackJumpers home floor.

The All-NBL big-man was dominant in limited minutes in their Round 5 road win in Tasmania, coming off the bench to score 17 points and pull down 10 rebounds.

Having got the better of Tassie’s big-men in Game 1, look for 'JLA' to be aggressive once again, while also feeding his teammates for good looks after drawing in the defence.

KEY MATCHUP

Tasked with slowing down the hottest scorer in the Finals so far, Luke Travers stepped up, all but locking up Jack McVeigh throughout much of the series’ opening game.

Travers hounded the JackJumpers ace, forcing him into bad shots (4/11 shooting) and attacking him on the other end.

‘LT’ came away from Game 1 with four blocks, equaling the record for the most blocks in the Championship series game in the 40-minute era, as well as nine points, four rebounds, two steals and two assists.

If Travers can replicate this form on Friday evening, United could be well on their way to taking a commanding 2-0 series lead in the best-of-five series.

THE OTHER GUYS

With McVeigh shut down and Will Magnay battling foul trouble, Anthony Drmic stepped up in a big way for the JackJumpers.

The sharpshooting wing tallied a season-high 18 points to lead Tasmania in scoring, edging out Milton Doyle, who managed to get up 13 shots for 16 points.

Getting more from Doyle’s fellow imports will be crucial moving forward, with Marcus Lee and Jordon Crawford (nine combined points on 4/18 shooting) struggling to find their range in Game 1.

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GAME INFO

Who: Melbourne United vs Tasmania JackJumpers

Tip-off: 7:30pm AEDT, Friday 22 March, 2024

Where: MyState Bank Arena, Gelnorchy

Watch: ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel