Tasmania JackJumpers won their first NBL championship with a stunning 83-81 road triumph over Melbourne United in the best-of-five series decider.
In front of 11,175 fans in enemy territory at John Cain Arena, Jordon Crawford delivered one of the great scoring performances to help Tasmania claw their way to the title in a thrilling battle.
Crawford had 27 first-half points and overcame a quiet third period to end with a series-high 32.
It was the equal-third highest tally by any player in a title-series game since the 40-minute game era began in 2009.
The outcome capped the league’s newest franchise’s fairytale trip under head coach Scott Roth, who lost a title game in their inaugural season two years prior.
United earned home-court advantage for the Championship Series, winning the first of three Melbourne games by 23 points, but losing the final two in close games.
The final four games of the series were decided by a combined 11 points.
Crawford was Tasmania’s hero, but Jack McVeigh (14 points, eight rebounds), Will Magnay (11, 12), and Milton Doyle (11, 10) all contributed significantly.
Melbourne’s five starters all scored in double figures, with Jo Lual-Acuil Jr (14 points), Matthew Dellavedova, Chris Goulding, and Luke Travers each scoring 13.
Dellavedova, who won an NBA championship with Cleveland in 2016, had a last-second chance to seal the win for Melbourne, but his long-range buzzer-beating shot struck the backboard and rimmed out.
Lual-Acuil set the tone for an explosive first quarter with a thunderous slam under pressure from Magnay and Doyle to begin scoring.
Travers scored 11 points as Melbourne opened up a double-digit lead inside five minutes and led 31-26 at the quarter break following Goulding’s buzzer-beating three-pointer.
However, Crawford’s sensational 19-point opening quarter on flawless shooting, including four triples, kept Tasmania in the game.
He remained perfect from long range with his sixth three-pointer, which gave Tasmania the lead for the first time two minutes before halftime.
Goulding injured his right knee in a collision with Majok Deng and picked up three fouls before halftime, one of many players on both teams in foul trouble.
At halftime, the score was 44-44, with Crawford’s personal count up to 27 points.
The dominant figure from the first half went cold in the third quarter, attempting only four shots, all of which were unsuccessful, as a tight struggle raged on both ends of the court.
Melbourne started the fourth quarter with a 7-2 surge, putting a nine-point gap between the clubs.
Crawford, however, scored the next five points, bringing Tasmania back even in the blink of an eye.
The JackJumpers led by five points, but Goulding’s amazing off-balance three with four seconds remaining guaranteed the game went to the buzzer.
Melbourne intercepted an inbounds pass, and Dellavedova missed a potential game-winning shot, causing chaotic scenes among Tasmanian fans on the road.
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