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Melbourne United has beaten Tasmania Jackjumpers 88-86 in Hobart to keep their NBL championship series alive.
NBL Finals
Championship series
Game one: Melbourne United 104, Tasmania Jackjumpers 81Game two: Tasmania Jackjumpers 82, Melbourne United 77Game three: Melbourne United 91, Tasmania Jackjumpers 93Game four: Tasmania Jackjumpers 86, Melbourne United 88
Series tied 2-2
Game five on Sunday March 31 4pm AEDT (John Cain Arena)
The win levels the best-of-five series at 2-2.
Game five will be on Sunday at John Cain Arena in Melbourne.
The Jackjumpers had the chance to clinch their first title in their third season in the league.
They led in the final minute, but United hit the front with seven seconds left. Jack McVeigh’s last-second shot missed from halfway.
The Jackjumpers went to the NBL championship series in their first season in 2022, but lost 3-0 to the Sydney Kings.
Ian Clark top-scored for Melbourne with 18 points, while Luke Travers had a lively game with a game-high 11 rebounds and 17 points.
McVeigh was immense for Tasmania with 28 points and seven rebounds after his match-winning effort from beyond the three-point line in game three.
Melbourne took a 67-66 lead into the final quarter in a game where neither side was able to pull away.
Both teams were sloppy in a frantic first term in which Melbourne were just 30 per cent from the field.
Tasmania had a 20-17 lead at quarter time but found themselves behind when Melbourne went on a nine-point run early in the second.
JackJumpers’ import Jordon Crawford sunk a three to end United’s run before the hosts went on a 10-point run of their own.
McVeigh started strongly and had 18 points by halftime, while teammate Milton Doyle came to life early in the third after a scoreless two quarters.
In a tit-for-tat third period United’s Chris Goulding hit crucial back-to-back threes to level at 55-55.
ABC/AAP
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