'Nope, it's after': McGee tying heave came too late

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"Nope, nope, it's after," commentator Brad Rosen declared as officials reviewed three-time NBA champion JaVale McGee's half-court heave that would have sent the Illawarra Hawks vs Melbourne United NBL26 Round 10 thriller into overtime at the Snakepit on Friday, November 21, 2025.

And it was. United avenged their home court loss to the defending champions 105-102 in one of the most thrilling games of the season.

"I never get too high or too low," Hawks head coach Justin Tatum said.

"I don’t really get excited about anything until the final say-so. If it went into overtime, if it didn’t, we’re sitting right here. Obviously it was a loss, but it was a close loss to a really good team.

"I felt that my guys gave great effort, you know, really trying to accomplish finishing the game. But the last couple minutes are always nerve-wracking because the game’s so close. Melbourne’s so good. You want to find a way to finish the game, but we just have to finish up rebounding.

"We gave up seven offensive boards in the fourth quarter, so it’s pretty tough to win games like that."

Period 4 — Last 98 seconds

• ‍01:38 – Quentin Peterson (#77) 3pt Jump Shot made (100–101)‍
• 01:20 – Milton Doyle (#35) Turnover (100–101)‍
• 01:20 – Time Out (100–101)
• 01:06 – Jesse Edwards (#14) Foul – Personal (100–101)
• 01:06 – JaVale McGee (#0) Free throw 2 of 2 missed (100–101)‍
• 01:06 – JaVale McGee (#0) Free throw 1 of 2 missed (100–101)‍
• 01:06 – Jesse Edwards (#14) Defensive Rebound (100–101)‍
• 00:46 – Chris Goulding (#43) 2pt Jump Shot missed (100–101)‍
• 00:46 – Finn Delany (#7) Offensive Rebound (100–101)‍
• 00:41 – Tyson Walker (#2) 3pt Jump Shot missed (100–101)‍
• 00:41 – William Hickey (#6) Defensive Rebound (100–101)‍
• 00:29 – Tyler Harvey (#1) Substitution Out (102–101)‍
• 00:29 – Mason Peatling (#22) Substitution In (102–101)‍
• 00:29 – Time Out (102–101)
• 00:29 – Tyler Harvey (#1) 2pt Floating Jump Shot missed (100–101)
• 00:29 – William Hickey (#6) Offensive Rebound (100–101)
• 00:29 – William Hickey (#6) 2pt Tip In made (102–101)‍
• 00:17 – Finn Delany (#7) 3pt Jump Shot made (102–104). Milton Doyle (#35) Assist (102–104)‍

• 00:17 – Time Out (102–104)
• 00:17 – Mason Peatling (#22) Substitution Out (102–104)‍
• 00:17 – Tyler Harvey (#1) Substitution In (102–104)‍
• 00:17 – Fabijan Krslovic (#18) Substitution In (102–104)‍
• 00:17 – Jesse Edwards (#14) Substitution Out (102–104)‍
• 00:07 – Fabijan Krslovic (#18) Substitution Out (102–104)‍
• 00:07 – Jesse Edwards (#14) Substitution In (102–104)‍
• 00:07 – Time Out (102–104)
• 00:02 – Tyler Harvey (#1) 3pt Jump Shot missed (102–104)‍
• 00:02 – JaVale McGee (#0) Offensive Rebound (102–104)‍
• 00:01 – JaVale McGee (#0) 2pt Tip In missed (102–104)‍
• 00:01 – Jesse Edwards (#14) Defensive Rebound (102–104)‍
• 00:01 – Jesse Edwards (#14) Foul Drawn (102–104)‍
• 00:01 – Jesse Edwards (#14) Free throw 1 of 2 missed (102–104)‍
• 00:01 – Jesse Edwards (#14) Free throw 2 of 2 made (102–105)‍
• 00:01 – JaVale McGee (#0) Foul – Personal (102–104)
• 00:00 – JaVale McGee (#0) 3pt Jump Shot made after the buzzer

Melbourne United import Milton Doyle drove to the bucket with 20 seconds left and kicked out to Finn Delany, who splashed a three from the right corner, with 17 seconds left to put United up 104-102 on the biggest shot of his career. United centre Jesse Edwards missed the front end of a pair of free throws, made the second but McGee's heave came after the clock. Game over.

United star Chris Goulding, who finished with 23 points, celebrated Delany's bucket.

"There were opportunities throughout the game where he was really confident with his shot and they didn’t drop," Goulding said.

"I kept talking to him — 'You’re a knockdown shooter. Stay confident. Be ready. Shoot the next one'.

"So I’m happy for him to not hesitate. And I think there were some people talking in his ear behind him, so for him to put it through, swish, and win the game — great moment for him."

Goulding also called out Tanner Krebs, who scored 12 points all on threes.

"So big," Goulding added.

"Tanner provides so much relief for me — such a scoring punch for us. He plays with confidence. The three-point shooters on our team — we’ve all been down a little bit of late, so it was nice for him to keep playing with confidence, step into those open shots, and knock them down.

"I’ve gotta guard him all week at practice — and he makes those shots all the time.

"I just like winning here. The last couple times we haven’t. So to come through in a wild finish like that — it was good fun.

"It was, what, point one away from us still being out there playing? 0.1 of a second. Credit to JaVale. He makes amazing plays. Pretty happy he took 0.1 too long to get that one off."

United are now 12-2 while the Hawks slipped to 4-9.

Key Details

• Result: Melbourne United 105 def. Illawarra Hawks 102
• When: Thursday, 21st November 2025
• Where: WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Chris Goulding (Melbourne United) starred with 23 points and one assist in 24 minutes.
• JaVale McGee (Illawarra Hawks) dominated with 28 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks in 35 minutes.

What Happened

Melbourne United established early control, taking a 38-33 first-quarter lead behind efficient shooting from Chris Goulding and Milton Doyle. The visitors maintained their momentum in the second period, outscoring the Hawks 20-19 to carry a 58-52 advantage into the main break. The third quarter belonged to Illawarra, who responded with a dominant 31-28 period to level the contest at 80-80 heading into the final frame. The fourth quarter proved to be a nail-biter, with Melbourne United edging the Hawks 19-19 in regulation time but holding onto their narrow lead to secure the three-point victory.

The contest featured exceptional offensive displays from both sides, with 25 lead changes throughout the evening highlighting the competitive nature of the encounter. Melbourne United's biggest lead reached eight points, while Illawarra managed to establish a six-point advantage during their best stretch. Both teams demonstrated their ability to respond under pressure, with Melbourne United recording a seven-point scoring run compared to the Hawks' eight-point surge.

JaVale McGee was outstanding for the Hawks, shooting an efficient 10-from-12 from the field while dominating the paint with 12 rebounds. His 83.3% shooting percentage from the field showcased his dominance around the rim, going 7-from-11 from the charity stripe. Quentin Peterson provided valuable support with 22 points on 8-from-15 shooting, including an impressive 4-from-6 from downtown. William Hickey contributed a solid all-round performance with 18 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

For Melbourne United, Chris Goulding was exceptional with his 23-point haul on 7-from-11 shooting, including a superb 5-from-8 from beyond the arc. His perfect 4-from-4 from the foul line demonstrated his clutch ability in pressure moments. Milton Doyle provided excellent support with 19 points and seven dimes, though he struggled with ball control, recording six turnovers. Jesse Edwards was efficient in the paint with 14 points on 3-from-4 shooting while going 8-from-12 from the free-throw line.

The shooting percentages told an interesting story, with Illawarra recording superior field goal accuracy at 53.7% compared to Melbourne United's 44%. However, the Hawks' advantage was neutralised by Melbourne United's superior three-point shooting at 38.2% versus Illawarra's 50%. Melbourne United's ability to generate more attempts from downtown (34 to 16) proved crucial in the final outcome. The visitors also held slight advantages in assists (16-15) and steals (10-7), while both teams recorded identical rebounding numbers at 35 boards each.