Drinkwise Preview: NBL24 - Championship series, Game 4 v Tasmania JackJumpers

Melbourne United will look to keep their season alive on Thursday evening when they face off against the Tasmania JackJumpers on the road in Game 4 of the NBL24 Championship series.

Despite a last-second loss in Game 3, United are full of confidence heading into MyState Bank Arena.

Buoyed by their NBL and NBA championship experience, Melbourne will be hoping to overcome the always energetic Tasmanian crowd and force the series into a decisive Game 5 back at John Cain Arena.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Having already established himself as one of the best young players in the NBL, Luke Travers has proved this series that he is ready to contribute at the highest level.

The athletic forward did a bit of everything in Game 3, finishing with 14 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and three steals.

It has been his rim protection that has garnered Travers the most attention, with his 10 swats across the first three series ranking as the third-most ever in a Championship series.

Look for ‘LT’ to be active at both ends once again on Thursday.

KEY MATCHUP

Rather than looking at an individual matchup, a large focus of Game 4 will be which bench unit can make the biggest impact.

In Game 3, Tasmania were saved by big performances from the likes of Majok Deng (15 points) and Sean McDonald (13 points).

United’s bench, led by Sixth Man of the Year winner Ian Clark, will look to be at their best to match this energy.

Across the course of NBL24, no bench player has averaged as many points as Clark (13.5 points per game).

THE OTHER GUYS

It was the JackJumpers pair of primary scorers that did the most of their damage in Game 3, as Milton Doyle and Jack McVeigh combined for 32 points.

Outside of these two, Tasmania’s role players were able to find their range from deep, with five other JJs splashing looks from beyond the arc.

It however looks likely that the home side will be without import big-man Marcus Lee, who went down with a knee injury on Sunday.

GAME INFO

Who: Melbourne United vs Tasmania JackJumpers

Tip-off: 7:30pm AEDT, Thursday 28 March, 2024

Where: MyState Bank Arena, Glenorchy

Watch: ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel