THE National Basketball League (NBL) Championship Series for the 2023/24 season began on Sunday afternoon, with Melbourne United securing a 23-point win over the Tasmania JackJumpers at John Cain Arena.

The first of a best of five series saw United take a 1-0 lead in the deciding series, delivering a dominant performance and leaving Tasmania with plenty of work to do if it wants to make it a competitive series after being convincingly outplayed.

The series now moves across the Bass Strait to MyState Bank Arena in Hobart later in the week, with the JackJumpers needing to strike on their home court to remain a chance at taking home the title against a deep Melbourne team.

Melbourne United (104) def. Tasmania JackJumpers (81)

The game started in slow fashion offensively for both sides, perfectly demonstrated by Will Magnay missing his first two free throws of the game, including one airball. Luckily for Tassie, the big man scored on a drive to the hoop on the next offensive possession, as the JackJumpers hopped out to a 4-0 run to start the game.

As expected, United got going, finding consistent scores by feeding Jo Lual-Acuil in the paint, with Magnay’s early foul trouble proving troublesome for Tasmania’s interior defence. Melbourne was also looking to get sharpshooting skipper Chris Goulding involved early as well, in a move that paid dividends as the veteran got his eye in from behind the arc in the first half.

The two teams traded scores as the first quarter rolled on, with both sides spending time at the free throw line as the referees looked for contact in a physical clash between the two contenders. Tasmania left points at the charity stripe, and after Tanner Krebs knocked down a pair with just seconds on the clock, United led by two points at the first change.

The second quarter was just as physical and back and forth in the opening minutes, with guard Jordan Crawford knocking down a three-pointer to push the margin back out to four points. However, it was quickly erased when Magnay gave away a technical foul to give Melbourne some free points, and also help it get some offensive momentum.

United started to break away as Tasmania’s offence dried up and the shots were not finding the bottom of the net. Melbourne’s lead could have been even bigger, but Ariel Hukporti missed consecutive alley-oop chances. Luckily for the home side, the JackJumpers were no better down the other end, and United were starting to build a significant lead as a result of the opposition’s offensive drought.

Tasmania was turning the ball over too much and allowing the opposition to get easy baskets in transition, and the visitors trailed by 10 points at the main break, with half time coming as a much-needed break for the JackJumpers.

The third quarter continued Melbourne’s momentum from the end of the first half, with Goulding knocking down a tough three-pointer to get his side going out of the main change. The JackJumpers kept running pick and roll plays to attack the rim, but the constant presence of either Lual-Acuil or Hukporti made that strategy difficult.

Magnay was forced to sit at the start of the third quarter due to picking up his fourth foul, and when Tasmania ran with Fabijan Krslovic, size became an issue. United felt much more confident shooting the ball earlier in the shot clock as they had a much stronger chance at pulling down an offensive rebound.

The highlight of the quarter came at the very end, as Ian Clark knocked down a buzzer-beating three-pointer from the logo to take a 13-point lead into the final period, the largest lead of the game.

Although the JackJumpers had dragged themselves out of double-digit deficits in the past, they simply could not get any cohesion or rhythm on the offensive end. Melbourne’s sheer depth of scoring options made life too tough for Tasmania as the margin ballooned out past 20 points in seemingly no time at all.

The JackJumpers fought until the end, but Melbourne never conceded the momentum, and kept pushing the lead out further en route to a massive win to take control of the series.

Lual-Acuil was dominant with 20 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and one steal in a powerful showing on both ends of the floor. His presence in the paint caused all sorts of problems for the JackJumpers, and he helped the team get going in a dogfight of a first half.

Goulding was also eye-catching in the big win, topping the scoring list for the match and proving a massive headache for the opposition. The sharpshooter posted 22 points on 6/10 shooting from behind the arc, and if he can continue to shoot the ball at this level for the remainder of the series, it will be massive in getting his side to the title.

Game two will take place at MyState Bank Arena on Friday night.