'Finito': Delany pours in 33 to send United west

• Finn Delany dominated with 33 points on outstanding 13-from-19 shooting to lead Melbourne United's 82-68 Play-In Qualifier victory
• Tasmania JackJumpers battled with just five available players for most of the contest due to multiple injury absences
• Melbourne United advances to face Perth Wildcats in Saturday's Play-In Game with their NBL season on the line

Tasmania JackJumpers head coach Scott Roth is rightfully proud of his group, but the NBL24 champion's season is over as Melbourne United advanced to the elimination final against Perth on Saturday, grinding to an 82-68 win in Melbourne on Thursday, March 5, 2026.

No JackJumpers starter played less than 35 minutes, with Roth revealing: “We basically scrapped our playbook and everything that we’ve done for the last year to play this game in a different way. They did a wonderful job of slowing it down and making them quite nervous, and they expended a hell of a lot of energy to beat us.”

At this stage of the season, every club is banged up, but Tasmania and Melbourne took it to another level. Roth played five because, in reality, it's all he had to compete at a playoff level, while United head coach Dean Vickerman had to make late adjustments with centre Jesse Edwards ruled out with back spasms, NBL25 Defensive Player of the Year Shea Ili on minutes restrictions and Chris Goulding dealing with knee issues.

"It’s never that much fun when you turn up to the stadium and hear what you think is going to be your greatest advantage on the floor tonight — with Jesse — that he’s probably not going to play," Vickerman said.

“But you know, we hope he’s capable of playing on Saturday. Backs are backs, and you never quite know.

“Credit to the group. Second and fourth quarters — we knew they were going to play guys heavy minutes, and we thought if we could just keep chipping away, that we’d be able to make some runs. Both those quarters we did.

“Defensively, we made some coverage areas at different times, made some adjustments.

“But yeah, just putting our feet in the paint. Finn was obviously one of his best games for us as a club. We just kept attacking the paint tonight. They were missing their rim protection, and we were able to score the ball at 73 per cent on twos. That was the difference in the game tonight.”

Tasmania hasn't been healthy all season. The JackJumpers lost Sean Macdonald (knee) before the first game, Boomers big man Will Magnay (foot) and Bryce Hamilton (ACL) to season-ending injuries, while Ben Ayre, Kobe Williamson and Nick Stoddart were all unavailable.

"I’m just pleased that we were able to execute this game plan," Roth said.

“When I first told them what we were going to do, they all looked at me like I was crazy. But they just bought in. And they just kept buying in every single day as we developed what we were trying to do.

“We only ran four plays. We scrapped our playbook. We scrapped some of our defensive concepts.

“For them to buy in with that and trust our coaching staff and what we were going to do with the 8.5 guys that we had to play — they were wonderful in that area.

“And probably at the end of the fourth — I mean beginning of the fourth — we probably should have been up one or two if we had made a foul shot or two.

“So to be in that position in this building against that kind of team — losing sucks — but proud of our effort.”

Roth was blunt about Edwards' inability to go at tip-off.

"It didn’t really matter to me," Roth declared.

"We had a game plan if he was going to play or not, and it didn’t matter to me.

“No, it didn’t affect what we were going to do. We had a game plan if he was going to play.

"We didn’t know he’s hurt, but we already had something in place for him.”

But Roth didn't have an answer for United's Finn Delany, who erupted for 33 points on 13-for-19 from the field to go with six boards in 35 minutes.

"Obviously, I found a rhythm, and I wanted to stay aggressive throughout the game," Delany said.

“I had success in the middle long ball with Tyson (Walker) — he’s been so deadly in there.

“Kind of feeding off him and Milt (Doyle) too, playing off those guys a bit.

“And just trying to be a little more poised and slow down sometimes.

“But yeah, I just found a rhythm and kept attacking.”

Key Details

• Result: Melbourne United 82 def. Tasmania JackJumpers 68
• When: Thursday, 5th March 2026, 7:30 PM
• Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne
• Attendance: 5,071

By the Numbers

• Finn Delany (Melbourne United) starred with 33 points, six rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes.
• Nick Marshall (Tasmania JackJumpers) scored 20 points and had six rebounds, two assists in 40 minutes.

Delany Delivers When It Matters

Delany stepped up in his first NBL finals appearance for United, shooting an exceptional 13-from-19 from the field to post 33 points alongside six rebounds. Delany's performance proved decisive as Melbourne weathered early adversity to advance in the NBL Play-In Tournament.

Former JackJumpers championship hero Milton Doyle provided stellar support with 17 points, six assists and five boards while connecting on a solid 5-from-9 attempts from downtown. The experienced guard's ability to control tempo proved crucial during United's game-changing fourth quarter surge.

Tasmania's season-ending defeat came despite a gutsy performance from their skeleton crew. With Will Magnay, Bryce Hamilton, Ben Ayre, Nick Stoddart and Sean Macdonald all unavailable, the JackJumpers were forced to rely heavily on their starting five throughout the contest.

Nick Marshall epitomised Tasmania's fighting spirit, playing all 40 minutes to finish with 20 points, six rebounds and two assists. The Australian guard's endurance and leadership kept the JackJumpers competitive against overwhelming odds.

Josh Bannan contributed 16 points and five boards in a solid display, while David Johnson matched that scoring output with 16 points, three rebounds and two assists. Point guard Tyger Campbell orchestrated the offense admirably with 12 points and six dimes despite the personnel limitations.

Melbourne's superior depth ultimately proved the difference, though they faced their own challenges with Jesse Edwards sidelined due to back spasms and Shea Ili limited to just 8:20 of action.

Australian Boomer Tanner Krebs provided valuable contributions with 11 points on efficient 3-from-5 three-point shooting, showcasing the perimeter ability that earned him national team selection. His timely triples helped United maintain momentum during crucial stretches.

Former JackJumper Fabijan Krslovic battled hard against his previous team, playing 31:35 while contributing three points and seven rebounds in a workmanlike performance.

The contest remained fiercely competitive through three quarters, with Tasmania trailing by just one point heading into the final period. The JackJumpers had mounted an impressive eight-point run late in the third quarter, sparked by Majok Deng's first bucket of the game, to close within 56-55.

However, Melbourne's class shone through when it mattered most. United opened the fourth quarter with a devastating 13-4 run that effectively sealed the victory. Doyle, Krebs and Delany each contributed crucial triples during this decisive stretch, with Doyle's additional three-pointer extending the lead further.

Melbourne United now travels directly to Perth for Saturday night's Play-In Game against the Wildcats, with the winner advancing to face the Sydney Kings in a full playoffs series. The loser's season ends immediately, adding extra pressure to what promises to be another compelling NBL showdown.

United's victory sets up an intriguing clash between two sides desperate to extend their championship campaigns, with both teams knowing one more loss ends their NBL title aspirations.