IN ONE of the most dramatic finishes of the National Basketball League (NBL) season, the Tasmania JackJumpers defeated the Adelaide 36ers at the death thanks to a Milton Doyle tip-in in overtime at MyState Bank Arena on Friday night.

The two teams could not be split after four quarters in an extremely entertaining contest, and after Majok Deng‘s go-ahead midrange shot bounced out, Doyle’s second putback attempt found the bottom of the net with 0.2 seconds on the clock, and with the Sixers out of timeouts, the result was sealed.

The win means Tasmania’s hunt for a top-four spot remains alive with a victory that head coach Scott Roth described as his side’s “best ever home win.” On the other hand, the Sixers’ path to a top-six spot becomes tricker, given they are now two wins behind sixth.

Tasmania JackJumpers (104) def. Adelaide 36ers (103)

It was a back and forth start to the match, with the two sides trading baskets in the opening minutes of the match. Just when it looked as if it was going to be a close margin at the first change, the JackJumpers went on a 9-0 run to lead by eight at quarter time.

The second quarter was all one-way traffic as the Sixers took a hefty lead after being on top for the entirety of the term. Adelaide broke away with an 11-0 run, and furthered its lead with another 7-0 run later in the period to hold a 12-point buffer at the main change.

It was a much more even affair in the third term, with the JackJumpers getting their offence back in rhythm and they did enough to keep within striking distance after the Sixers threatened to break the game open earlier in the piece. At three-quarter time, Tasmania still trailed by nine points, but certainly remained in with a sniff.

A 13-3 run in the fourth quarter helped Tasmania complete the comeback, but Kendric Davis nailed consecutive triples to push the visitors’ lead back out to seven points. However, Tassie scored the final seven points of regulation to force overtime and give the fans at MyState Bank Arena some free basketball.

It was a dramatic final five minutes of the match, as both teams jumped out to seemingly game-winning buffer, but it was still a one-point game with just seconds on the clock, and Doyle proved the hero.

Deng was excellent for the JackJumpers with 26 points and eight rebounds, while Doyle was back to his best after a poor outing earlier in the week, posting 22 points and nine assists to go with his match-winning play. Despite the loss, Davis was masterful for the Sixers, producing 39 points, five rebounds and seven assists as he continues a dominant season.