The Australian NBL finals are typically a postseason tournament held annually to determine the ultimate league champions. 

Started in 1980, the championship series presents an opportunity for the top six teams to showcase their mettle side as they square it out via various stages as we will find out in this article. 

NBL Championship Series Format

Ordinarily, you might be familiar with the NBL championship format if you have been following the league’s event for years. Nevertheless, if you are just starting, Basketball News Australia will expertly take you through the post-season competition, including how teams qualify for the grand finals _Championship Series. 

Well, over time, the format has been changing, but from 2023 to the present, here is how teams arrive at the coveted Championship Finals. 

2023 to the present NBL 2023 to the present NBL Championship Grand Final Series Format.

As you can see from the above format, the current format features the top six teams at the end of the regular season. The play-in/seeding qualifier involves tying positions 5 and 6, and 3 and 4, which participates in two sudden-death play-in games to determine the winner who eventually qualifies for the Grand Finals Championship series. Afterwards, the regular season top cream teams (regular season league leaders and second-placed team) participate in the best-of-three Semifinal games featuring positions, where the winner qualifies for the best-of-five Grand Final series.

Therefore, following this format, the two teams participating in the 2024 NBL Grand Finals Championship series are Melbourne United and Tasmania JackJumpers. 

The fixture schedule for this year’s series is as follows. 

• Game 1: Sunday, 17th March, John Cain Arena  – Melbourne United (104) Vs Tasmania JackJumpers (81) 
• Game 2: Friday, 22nd March, MyState Bank Arena  – Tasmania JackJumpers (82) Vs Melbourne United (77) 
• Game 3: Sunday, 24th March, 5:30 PM AEDT, John Cain Arena  – Melbourne United (-) Vs Tasmania JackJumpers (-) 
• Game 4: Thursday, March 28, 7:30 PM AEDT, MyState Bank Arena  – Tasmania JackJumpers (-) Vs Melbourne United (-) 
• Game 5: Sunday, March 31, 4 PM AEDT, John Cain Arena  – Melbourne United (-) Vs Tasmania JackJumpers (-) 

NBL Grand Finals 2024 Championship Series So Far 

The second game of the series went underway at the iconic MyState Bank Arena. Tasmania JackJumpers were able to fight back from a resilient Melbourne side, giving us a glimpse of how intense this series might get in the upcoming features. Let’s dive into the two opening games that are now behind us. 

First Game: Melbourne Wins 104 -81 Against the Jumpers 

Tasmania JackJumpers player Milton Doyle and United’s Chris Goulding pose for a photograph with the trophy prior to game one of the NBL Championship Grand Final Series between Melbourne United and Tasmania Jackjumpers at John Cain Arena, on March 17, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia.

Melbourne United started the grand finals series on a higher note after defeating the Tasmania JackJumpers 104-81 at John Cain Arena, their historical home turf. 

The first game of the NBL 2024 Championship series started with key players contributing immensely to their respective teams’ scoreboards. Melbourne’s Chris Goulding and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr were particularly instrumental in the United’s thunderous win over Jumpers. Equally sharp against the opponents were Matthew Dellavedova, and Luke Travers who found the bottom of the net from the deep amid charged crowds in the stands. Ariel Hukporti and Ian Clark and a busy day too with their skillful drive-ins garnering easy baskets. 

However, it was Goulding’s star that shone brightly. He managed six of the ten 3-point attempts, leading to a game-high 22 points_ his best score record in two months. 

United’s in-form Center, Lual-Acuil Jr continued his dominant first-half performance. Moments into the second half, he completed a layup, starting a dominant stretch of play from the All-NBL teamer. He finished the game head-high with a double-double; 10 rebounds and 20 points. 

Matthew Dellavedova demonstrated his immense experience as he also garnered 11 points and 6 assists. Ian Clar scored 18 points while Luke Travers had 9 points and 4 blocks to cap a largely successful night at home ground. 

While the score margin tells the story of a dominant United side, Tasmania JackJumpers were not easy pushovers. Their crucial players rose to the occasion staging competitive defense tactics while sinking some memorable baskets. 

In Particular, Anthony Drmic scored 18 points while Milton Doyle went on record with 16 points and Jack McVeigh fought hard to record 13 points and 7 rebounds. 

On the downside though, the Jumpers forward Marcus Lee suffered a left shoulder injury moments after half-time and Fabijan Krslovic suffered a damaged left ankle in the final moments of the game. 

Second Game: Tasmania JackJumpers 82, Melbourne United 77, MyState Bank Arena, Friday, 22nd March 202 

Tasmania JackJumpers player, Marcus Lee celebrates with the fans after winning 82-77 during game two of the NBL Championship Grand Final Series between Tasmania JackJumpers and Melbourne United at MyState Bank Arena, on March 22, 2024, in Hobart, Australia.

The Tasmania Jackjumpers are back to winning ways after a hard-fought 82-77 win over Melbourne United at MyState Bank Arena on a charged Friday night. It is now 1-1, implying a more intense third fixture in the 2024 NBL best-of-five Grand Championship Series. 

Again, United’s Chris Goulding looked sharp with clearest intentions to lead his team to a formidable 2-0 win over Jumpers. He managed 19 points on the road for the night and his remarkable 11-0 run after the half-break seemed to have changed the fortunes in his team’s favor. 

Consequently, he thrust his team forward, opening a 15-point gap. Tasmania’s big man Will Magnay added salt to their injury picking up a fourth foul making it even harder for Tasmania’s comeback. 

Nevertheless, their star of the night Jack McVeigh came to his team’s rescue with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. He significantly brought them back into the contest in the third quarter helping cut the gap to a paltry 3 points. 

The last two and a half minutes of the match were purely dramatic. The JackJumpers managed to open a 5-point gap but it still went the wire with the contest increasingly becoming too tight to call. 

In the end, it was Jo Lual-Acuil and Shea Ili five fouls that dearly cost Melbourne United the win. Although these players had great moments in the game; 9 points & 11 rebounds, and 20 points, respectively their sidelining owing to foul plays was instrumental to their defeat. 

Game 3: What To Look Forwards To?

With the series tied at 1-1, we look forward to an entertaining third game in Melbourne on Sunday, 24th March, and an equally tight fixture in Hobart, on Thursday, 28 March, at 7:30 AEDT. 

Luckily, your trusted basketball news outlet in Australia welcomes you to keep your tabs open to get distilled news of every crucial moment as it unfolds in the NBL 2024 Grand Finals Championship Series.