THE TASMANIA JackJumpers have claimed a crucial victory at home against the Adelaide 36ers on Thursday night, rallying behind forward Jack McVeigh‘s excellent offensive performance.

McVeigh came off the bench but wasted no opportunity he was given, producing an equal game-high 28 points, conjuring some of the form that was seen in the NBL Blitz pre-season competition, which saw many flag him as an All-NBL player.

McVeigh’s performance was crucial as the JackJumpers took an early lead and produced an answer for everything the 36ers threw at them. After a few losses and a less than convincing win over the Hawks last week, it was Tasmania’s best performance in weeks, as the competition’s newest side looks to go one further than last season.

Tasmania JackJumpers (98) def. Adelaide 36ers (82)

Jack McVeigh – 27 mins, 28 points, six rebounds

Although teammate Milton Doyle reached the same amount of points by the end of the match, McVeigh’s 28 were extremely important in the context of the game, and the timeliness of his buckets proved vital.

A large chunk of his points came from behind the arc, as the forward chimed in for six three-pointers on just seven attempts. He showed no hesitation to fire off a shot from downtown, and was often on the end of some excellent quick ball movement from the JackJumpers.

Whether it be from the corner or at the top of the three-point line, McVeigh was as deadly as ever from long range, often taking advantage of the defence collapsing on the likes of Doyle and Rashard Kelly, both of whom can create their own shot.

The 26-year-old also showed off how crafty he can be handling the ball, producing a highlight play in the second quarter. McVeigh received the ball from Josh Magette on a dish-out pass, faked the jumpshot before beginning a drive, against which his opponent Hyrum Harris committed on defending. Instead, McVeigh whipped out a nasty behind the back snatch, stepped back behind the three-point line and drained yet another triple.

His sixth trifecta came late in the fourth quarter, essentially sealing the game for Tasmania and topping off a remarkable performance off the bench. He signaled three fingers to the crowd as he received a standing ovation for his work in getting the JackJumpers past a talented and in form 36ers side.

Despite being benched for the likes of Kelly after some fluctuating form of late, McVeigh showed that when at his best, he can be one of the best fours in the competition. An explosive scorer, he was at his sharpshooting best against a helpless Adelaide side.