NBL – Finn Delany’s career-high 33 points powers Melbourne United past Tasmania JackJumpers in NBL play-in thriller

Melbourne United survived a stern test from a depleted Tasmania JackJumpers side, advancing to Saturday’s eliminator against Perth Wildcats with an 82-68 victory in Thursday night’s play-in qualifier. Finn Delany was the difference-maker, equalling his career-best with 33 points on an efficient 13-of-19 shooting display.

The JackJumpers, playing with essentially a five-man rotation due to a lengthy injury list including captain Will Magnay and All-NBL Second Team guard Bryce Hamilton, remarkably scored zero points off the bench. Their starting five fought valiantly, with Nick Marshall playing all 40 minutes for 20 points, while Josh Bannan and David Johnson each contributed 16 points.

The highlight plays from tonight's Play-In Qualifier win, all thanks to Trojan Tools! pic.twitter.com/jebR94Ak2B

— Melbourne United (@MelbUnited) March 5, 2026

United overcome slow start and injury concerns

United faced their own personnel issues, with starting center Jesse Edwards sidelined due to back spasms and Chris Goulding battling a cyst behind his knee. The veteran guard struggled to just four points on 0-of-6 3-point shooting, while Shea Ili was limited to eight minutes in his return from hamstring injury.

The game’s turning point came in the fourth quarter, where United outscored Tasmania 26-13 after trailing by just one point at three-quarter time. Milton Doyle, the former JackJumpers championship hero, provided crucial support with 19 points including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc, while Tanner Krebs added 11 points with three 3-pointers.

« The JackJumpers remarkably scored zero points off the bench, playing with a predominantly five-man rotation, » highlighted the visitors’ depleted roster situation throughout the contest.

Tasmania showed remarkable resilience early, using an 11-0 run to take a 15-8 lead in the first quarter. However, United responded with an 18-4 run spanning quarter-time to establish control. The JackJumpers missed 14 successive field goals across almost eight minutes at one stage but kept themselves in contention through fierce offensive rebounding.

Delany’s second-half surge seals United’s survival

With the season on the line, Delany stepped up when his team needed him most, scoring 20 of his 33 points in the second half. His dominant performance, combined with clutch 3-pointers from Doyle and Krebs in the final quarter, helped United pull away from the stubborn JackJumpers.

United will now travel to Perth for Saturday’s do-or-die eliminator against the Wildcats, with the winner advancing to face the Sydney Kings in a best-of-three playoff series. For the JackJumpers, their season comes to an end despite a courageous effort that saw them briefly take the lead late in the third quarter before finally running out of steam against United’s deeper rotation.

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