NBL Championship Series Takeaways: Lightning almost strikes ...

HOBART, Australia -- It feels right that this thing is going to a Game 5.

The last two games of this 2024 NBL Championship Series have come down to the final shot, with both Melbourne United and the Tasmania JackJumpers playing with an intensity and level of urgency the moment deserves, so a do-or-die fifth game only makes sense.

How we ended up here is also so somewhat romantic.

In Game 3, it was a miraculous Jack McVeigh game-winner that got the JackJumpers over the line. In Thursday's Game 4, McVeigh had a shot from almost the exact same spot that would've won his JackJumpers the game -- and their first ever NBL title -- but it sailed wide left; United won 88-86, tying the series at 2-2, and sending it back to Melbourne for a decider.

We saw redemption from Matthew Dellavedova, who came up big down the stretch; as well as from Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., whose clutch defensive play helped seal the victory for United.

Here's how Game 4 played out, and what's worth keeping an eye on moving forward into what's sure to be an electric, deciding Game 5.

The cloud of McVeigh's game-winner from Game 3 was so very clearly lingering through MyState Bank Arena on Thursday.

Both teams had vowed to put it behind them... only for it to be played on the jumbotron pregame as fans were filing in. The JackJumpers crowd was largely full at that point, and they watched and reacted to the replay of the shot as though it was happening in real time, letting out a roar as the ball went through the net.

Players were warming up at the time, and every United player clearly averted their gaze from the big screen. All but Chris Goulding, who looked up to watch the play in its entirety, before nodding, as if to have taken a mental note of the circumstance.

We very nearly had lightning strike twice -- as Jack Heverin preempted on the broadcast -- with McVeigh shooting a deep three at the buzzer from almost the same spot, with his team down two points.

"Not again," Ian Clark said, when asked what his reaction was when the shot went up.

JackJumpers head coach Scott Roth had a different reaction, naturally: "Please go in... pretty simple."

The look wasn't as clean as his attempt from Game 3, so it missed left and gave United the opportunity to play in a deciding Game 5.

"I saw certainly a flatter shot, that either this is backboard and in or backboard and out," United head coach Dean Vickerman said of the shot.

"Maybe it was our turn to get a bit of luck on one of those."

And in a series as close as this, luck can be a valuable thing.

There was no way this series was going to end without Clark having another say in proceedings.

We've heard, ad nauseam, about the championship experience of Clark; the IQ, the composure, the resilience, the ability to step up in big moments. It might get repetitive, but it's very real. During Game 4, he was the guy who would constantly regather momentum for United when the JackJumpers threatened to extend their lead, hitting timely shots and getting to his spots in an elite way.

Clark finished with a game-high 18 points and, outside of his missed free throw that gave the JackJumpers an opportunity to win it -- they, of course, didn't capitalise -- played his role to perfection for United.

"He looked like he was a problem offensively, all night, when he was touching the basketball; made huge plays," Vickerman said.

There was a moment in the second quarter that got precarious for United. McVeigh banked in a three, leading to what may have been the loudest roar from the Tasmanian fans all series long, giving the JackJumpers a 34-27 lead and forcing a United timeout. Clark was able to lead the way for United when it came to absorbing that moment, regaining composure, and slowly chipping away at that lead.

"Win... it's pretty simple," Clark said, on his mindset going into the do-or-die game 4.

"It's been an up-and-down series for both teams. I loved our resilience today. Even when they made runs and hit big shots, we didn't panic. That's a credit to the guys in the locker room that have been in big moments.

"They understand the moments that we had throughout that last quarter, and being able to be fighters, and be resilient, and come up with the win."

Dellavedova, without question, redeemed himself on Thursday.

It was Dellavedova's errant pass that led to McVeigh's big shot in Game 3, and it was clear from the tip that the Australian guard wouldn't let that mistake cost his team the series. He very demonstrably exerted all of his energy and put his entire capacity into leading United to a win.

That urgency manifested throughout the game -- and particularly on the defensive end, where he played a significant role in keeping Milton Doyle to 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting -- but even more so when the fourth quarter came around.

Nine of Dellavedova's 15 points came in the final period, including the go-ahead bucket with just a few seconds to play that gave United a lead that they wouldn't relinquish. Dellavedova was inexplicably allowed to drive right, allowing him to bulldoze his way to the bucket for the shot inside the paint.

"Delly really wanted that last one," Vickerman said of the final play, which he admitted was more-than-likely going to be called for Clark. "[He] made a hell of a play and got to the rim."

Dellavedova is known as an unmatched competitor, and it showed on both ends during Game 4. No one on the floor played with the same level of force as Dellavedova, and he was also credited with keeping his team composed over the course of the contest.

"It helps me a lot," Clark said of Dellavedova's competitive mentality.

"Personally, it's more his calmness in every play. He's so level-headed in bringing guys together in huddles, in timeouts; but also, when the other team is going on a run, he's the first one to bring guys in and say 'next play', and to get us back where we need to be and move on.

"I'm glad he's on our side."

Going small worked for the JackJumpers down the stretch of Game 3, so, naturally, Roth went to the same lineup as Game 4 came to a close.

For the last 5:20 of the matchup, Majok Deng was the five-man for the JackJumpers; but, this time, Vickerman didn't flinch, keeping one of his true centres -- primarily Acuil Jr. on the floor at all times.

Against the small ball lineup, United would switch one-through-four, leading to some mismatches around the floor that they were clearly comfortable living with.

"We spent a lot of time on it," Vickerman said about facing a small ball unit again.

"I thought there was absolute clarity about how we were gonna defend it. There were still some that came downhill pretty quick, but so much better."

Down the stretch, the JackJumpers were almost exclusively searching for mismatches down low with either McVeigh or Deng, with varying success. Deng hit a shot over a smaller defender with 2:20 to play, but the JackJumpers wouldn't score again. There was a sense that they perhaps abandoned their ball-movement-heavy offence for a stagnant one that hunted mismatches; an interesting, yet not unreasonable approach, with Roth walking away generally happy with the processes on the offensive end from that unit.

"I thought it was good," Roth said.

"I thought we were getting down in the post there. They were switching, obviously, which we were anticipating. I thought, for the most part, it was good. We had some good post-ups down there, some good looks. We had a couple late-game putbacks at the rim that didn't go in, but it was fine. I was happy with them."

The main issue came on the other end of the floor. With no big body imposing himself in the paint, United continued to force the ball inside, against very little resistance. No true centre on the floor was exactly the green light Dellavedova needed to put his head down and get on the rim in the play that led to his go-ahead backup at the end of the game.

With no Marcus Lee, and Fabijan Krslovic only trusted to play spot minutes, the small ball lineups are coming largely out of necessity for the JackJumpers. We'll see, though, whether Roth turns to it again deep in fourth quarters when the game is well and truly on the line.

Most of these players are banged up. That much is clear.

You can see it in their demeanour, and also with the pace that this game ended up being played at as the contest progressed.

That being said, Goulding was wearing full compression skins and appeared to be hobbled in some way.

"Everyone's got a little something right now," Vickerman said when asked if Goulding was injured. "Nothing to be worried about."

It may not be something, but it's not nothing.

The same goes for Will Magnay on the other end, who also appears to be moving somewhat gingerly out there at times.

This very well could be the wear and tear of a long, arduous season, but there could be more to it, so it's worth flagging before we head into the deciding game of the NBL season.