Match Recap: Semi Final Game 1 v Tasmania JackJumpers

Melbourne United have taken away a hard-fought victory in Game One of the Hungry Jack’s NBL Semi-Finals, beating the Tasmania JackJumpers by 11 points at John Cain Arena.

United got off to a hot start on the back of Matthew Dellavedova, who scored Melbourne’s first five points, before Shea Ili knocked down a three pointer to give the side a handy early buffer.

Tassie fought back valiantly, taking the lead for all of 33 seconds, before an Ili triple pushed the defending champs back in front.

Both sides were playing defence at an elite level, however it was United who took advantage of their opportunities, pulling ahead by five points to close the term following a fade-away from Delly.

After United did damage from outside in the first term, it was Jo Lual-Acuil Jr who went to work on the interior to start the second period.

JLA kicked the quarter off with one of his six blocks, before scoring United’s first six points.

 With Big Jo making an impact inside the paint, opportunities opened up for the rest of Melbourne’s depth.

Chris Goulding knocked down a deep triple, while Ili, Ariel Hukporti and Caleb Agada all got inside for tough buckets.

Despite this, the JJs stuck around, cashing in on their chances at the free-throw line and closing within five points heading into the main break.

 Coming out of half-time break with the contest very much in the balance, United flexed their muscles on both ends.

Melbourne held the JJs to just two points through the first six-and-a-half minutes of the period, while providing highlight after highlight.

The run was punctuated by one of the plays of the season, as Big A spiked Josh Adams’ layup attempt before running the floor and throwing down a monster jam to bring the JCA crowd to their feet.

Some late free-throws gave Tassie some extra points to end the quarter, however the damage had already been done, with Melbourne holding onto a 19-point advantage going into the last 10 minutes of action.

United held onto the momentum coming into the stretch of the game, getting out in transition and swatting shots away to increase their lead to as many as 23 points.

Caleb Agada was crucial throughout this run, leading Melbourne with 16 points in just over 13 minutes.

While the JJs were able to hit back, outscoring United 20-12 throughout the final period, Melbourne proved too good, ending the contest with a 74-63 victory.

A massive part of the win has to be attributed to United’s rebounding. The defending champs pulled down 18 offensive rebounds, and out-rebounded the JJs by 20 across the entire game.

Melbourne will play Game 2 in Tasmania on Saturday night at 8pm AEST. 

The game will be broadcast live on ESPN via Foxtel and Kayo Freebies.