Jackies force decider against NBL champs

IT WASN’T supposed to be like this for the reigning champions.

Melbourne United would have hoped, after finishing top of the NBL ladder, for a sweep of expansion club Tasmania and a rails run to the grand final. It’s what most outside the club expected.

But the underdog Jackies have torn up the script, matching United in the physicality stakes and, on Saturday night, the clutch stakes, to force a decisive game three in their semi-final series.

Captain Chris Goulding told his troops before the series it would be no “cakewalk” and the Jackies have proven that true, both teams walking a fine line as they’ve crashed, bashed and harassed each other. It’s made for a mustwatch series, not for its beauty, but for its intensity.

United’s conductor Matthew Dellavedova has played in plenty of games where the pressure is through the roof but United is now in the fight of its life to save its season.

“There’s nothing like playoffs or finals basketball, everything goes up a level, it’s physical, it’s competitive,” Dellavedova said. “Those 50-50 balls, they came up with (in game two) so you’ve got to give them credit. Those are the ones we came up with in game one. It’s who wants it more – and we’ll be ready to go.”

Coach Dean Vickerman says he’ll prepare his team to better deal with the JackJumpers’ “speed humps” that have curtailed United’s ability to get out and run.

“That’s what they do – it’s something they chart, hitting people and contesting people as they run,” Vickerman said.

United laid an egg from deep – they made just six of their 34 three-point attempts – and almost half their free throws came up empty. Yet, they only lost by seven points.

“If we can put the ball in the basket a little better – we were under 60 per cent from the foul line and we were 17 per cent from the three,” he said.

“A lot of credit goes to the JackJumpers, but we’ve got to be better and shoot the basketball and create great looks for us.”

The three-time champion coach is looking forward to defending his side’s season in the comforts of its John Cain Arena home.

“We go through the regular season to get to play at home in these big moments and we look forward to seeing a packed arena … bring the kind of energy that we felt (in Tasmania in game two),” he said.

Both teams will play a third game in six days, having battled Thursday and Saturday night – there will be some sore bodies, but Delly was putting on a brave face.

“(I) feel really good – we’ve got great physios, great weights coach and I’ve put a lot of work into my body.”