How Ted Lasso inspired JackJumpers' controversial comeback

• All 165 games of the NBL27 season in one list
• Every NBL27 roster, squad list and projected depth chart
• Every injured NBL player, with expected return dates

Controversy has taken the shine off an incredible comeback win for the Tasmania JackJumpers, who overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to record a 96-91 victory over the South East Melbourne Phoenix at MyState Bank Arena.

Tasmania seemed headed for an improbable win in their season opener after David Johnson’s second-half eruption before a late steal from Phoenix import D'Shawn Schwartz led to a disruptor foul call, formerly an unsportsmanlike foul, giving the visitors two free throws to tie the game and possession.

But confusion took over the situation as Phoenix's Skylar Mays tried to take the free throws instead of Schwartz, leading to the shot being taken off South East Melbourne and possession given back to the JackJumpers - much to the pleasure of the packed My State Bank Arena.

The overturned call led to a Nick Marshall floater, putting the JackJumpers up by four, which proved too much for Josh King's side, who were in the second game of a road trip after beating the Perth Wildcats on Saturday.

Johnson, who finished with 26 points, six rebounds, and six assists, said coach Scott Roth's message was Ted Lasso-esque when all seemed lost for the home side.

"Just believe," he said in the post-game press conference.

“I don’t think anyone in the locker room doubted that we were going to at least compete until the end of this game. We competed until the last couple of minutes, and then it was kind of, ‘Let’s see what happens from there’.”

Tasmania's fightback came after an Angus Glover three-point barrage in the first half.

Phoenix (1-1) head coach Josh King felt the overturned call didn’t decide the result, but it was “confusing.”

“It was very confusing,” King said.

“I’ve never seen it before. I have to get some clarity behind it.

“DeShawn got fouled. The way I understood it, they said it was our ball, with two shots and the ball. I think Skylar thought anybody could shoot because it was an unsportsmanlike foul and we were getting the ball back.

“But when Skylar went to the line, it wiped out everything. We didn’t get to shoot the shots – or he did shoot the shot, sorry – but it wiped out everything.

“I don’t think they made it very clear that we were going to get the ball back. We were still trying to figure out whether we were getting the ball back, so it was a confusing situation.

“It was unfortunate, but at the end of the day, that had nothing to do with the final result. You don’t ever want to put your team in a situation where you have to rely on a play like that.

“That’s not what decided the game at all.”

JackJumpers head coach Scott Roth said Tasmania was still searching for its rhythm after a tough preseason.

“We haven’t had a lot of games, so I think we just don’t have the rhythm of playing five-on-five right now,” Roth revealed.

“We’re a long way off. We’re a work in progress.

“Having reps, conditioning and all those things we’ve been missing – I think in the second half we got our wind and settled a little bit. Things calmed down a bit.

“DJ made some hell of plays, but everyone chipped in where they had to. I think it was more of a settling thing in the second half and taking away the three as much as we possibly could.

“I think we held them to 39 in the second half, which is obviously a good credit to our guys.”

American import Johnson had 26 points in 26 minutes on a red-hot 10-for-15, including 3-for-7 from downtown. He added six rebounds, six assists and was +14.

“Just staying aggressive and playing off my teammates,” Johnson said.

“Kind of just playing with the flow of the game and taking advantage of opportunities when they were provided.

“It’s (a) huge (win), considering what we’ve gone through behind the scenes with players going down early on.

“You kind of learn a little bit about yourself as well, and it makes you excited because we know what we’re missing. We’re using this to get our feet wet a little bit and keep pushing.”

Johnson's bench explosion lifts JackJumpers past Phoenix in Round 1 thriller

Tasmania opened their season with a 96–91 win over the South East Melbourne Phoenix at MyState Bank Arena on Monday, 21st of September, with David Johnson's 26-point outburst off the bench proving the difference in a tightly contested Round 1 opener. Johnson iced the result with a free throw inside the final three seconds to seal a five-point margin.

Johnson powers the decisive contribution

David Johnson was the game's dominant offensive force, pouring in 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, to go with six rebounds, six assists and a block across 26 minutes. His +14 plus/minus underlined how much Tasmania leaned on their reserve guard in critical stretches, culminating in the free throw that closed out the contest at Q4 00:03.

Armstrong and Magnay set the tone

Taran Armstrong turned in an efficient 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting alongside three assists and a steal, while Will Magnay was a monster in the paint with 14 points, four rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block on 3-of-4 from the floor and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. Magnay's game-high +16 rating reflected his two-way influence.

Dakota Mathias rounded out the starting effort with 14 points, six rebounds and three assists, connecting on 3-of-5 from three-point range to keep Tasmania's perimeter offence humming.

Phoenix bench keeps the visitors within reach

South East Melbourne relied heavily on Angus Glover, who erupted for a team-high 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting and a scorching 5-of-11 from deep to keep the Phoenix in touch throughout. Skylar Mays added 18 points, six rebounds and two assists, drilling 4-of-9 from three-point range to lead the starting unit.

Dash Daniels contributed 11 points, three rebounds, four assists and a steal on 5-of-8 shooting, while D'Shawn Schwartz chipped in 12 points and five rebounds. Despite the balance, the Phoenix could not overcome Tasmania's efficiency.

Efficiency and free-throw dominance decide it

The JackJumpers shot 53.0% from the field compared to the Phoenix's 42.1%, converting 35 of 66 attempts against South East Melbourne's 32 of 76. Tasmania also owned the free-throw line, going 18-of-23 to the Phoenix's 14-of-19, a margin that proved crucial as the two sides traded blows late.

Tasmania's ball movement stood out with 21 assists on 35 made field goals, led by Magnay and Johnson (six apiece), while Nick Marshall added 10 points, three rebounds and three assists in a steady supporting shift.

Phoenix pay for cold nights from the starters

Outside of Mays and Daniels, the Phoenix starting five struggled to find rhythm. Tanner Krebs managed just four points on 1-of-8 shooting including 0-of-5 from three, while Jordan Hunter's nine points came in limited minutes due to foul trouble, finishing with three personals in under 12 minutes on court. Yannis Morin's -14 was the worst mark of the night as Tasmania consistently exploited the interior.

By the Numbers

• David Johnson (TAS): 26 pts │ 6 reb │ 6 ast │ 10-of-15 FG │ 3-of-7 3PT
• Taran Armstrong (TAS): 19 pts │ 3 ast │ 8-of-13 FG
• Will Magnay (TAS): 14 pts │ 4 reb │ 6 ast │ 8-of-8 FT │ 3-of-4 FG
• Dakota Mathias (TAS): 14 pts │ 6 reb │ 3 ast │ 3-of-5 3PT
• Angus Glover (SEM): 21 pts │ 5-of-11 3PT │ 8-of-15 FG
• Skylar Mays (SEM): 18 pts │ 6 reb │ 4-of-9 3PT
• D'Shawn Schwartz (SEM): 12 pts │ 5 reb │ 2-of-5 3PT
• Dash Daniels (SEM): 11 pts │ 4 ast │ 5-of-8 FG