DJ Grabs His Moment to Give Kings 2-0 Grand Final Lead

It was a moment he was made for and DJ Vasiljevic made the biggest shot of his NBL career to give the Sydney Kings a 2-0 lead in the Grand Final Series against the Tasmania JackJumpers in Hobart on Sunday.

The Kings won the opening game at home on Friday night but lost their superstar MVP winning point guard Jaylen Adams in the process to a hamstring strain.

They were then greeted by a hostile opposition crowd of 4738 at MyState Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon, but they withstood that and the stunning 36 points from Josh Adams for the JackJumpers to take out the 90-86 victory.

It was a game destined to go down to the wire with both teams making huge play after huge play. Just when it appeared Xavier Cooks had been the hero for Sydney, Adams stepped up with two miraculous three balls for Tasmania.

The Sydney lead was one on their final possession and Ian Clark was able to set up a Vasiljevic look at the three ball, and it's as if destiny had all come together. 

If ever a man is made for that moment, it's him and his three-point attempt never looked like missing and he sealed the deal, and soaked up the boos from the near 5000-strong crowd in Hobart straightaway.

Vasiljevic finished the game with 20 points as well with Xavier Cooks coming up huge once more with 20 points and 10 rebounds while Jarell Martin stepped up once more for 20 points and 10 boards.

In the absence of Jaylen Adams, Shaun Bruce played 23 minutes running things for Sydney and had seven assists while Ian Clark added nine points and six assists.

Josh Adams put up a season-high 36 points on 12/22 shooting for Tasmania in a spectacular performance while Jarrad Weeks scored 11 points, Jack McVeigh 10 points and eight rebounds, and Josh Magette 10 points and five assists.

Jarell Martin scored a couple of early buckets for Sydney down low but Josh Magette brought the Hobart crowd to their feet with a three ball. Josh Adams and Jack McVeigh kept them roaring, and it was a hot opening with both teams trading buckets.

Adams then shook off a sore hand to throwdown a breakaway dunk leading to a Chase Buford timeout for Sydney, but the JackJumpers kept rolling hitting seven straight points to lead 18-10.

They were then up 21-13 with four minutes in the first term to go before Sam McDaniel extended the advantage to nine with a three ball.

Tasmania were up 27-17 by quarter-time on the back of a combined 18 points from Adams and McVeigh along with 12 rebounds to six.

Sydney turned the momentum a complete 180 to start the second quarter, coming out and hitting the first 14 points which included triples to DJ Vasiljevic, Tom Vodanovich and Ian Clark.

They'd turned that 10-point deficit into a four-point lead to put the onus back on the JackJumpers to respond, and they did through their two experienced heads, Jarrad Weeks and Clint Steindl.

The pair combined for 14 points in the back half of the first half including Weeks drained three triples with one on the buzzer to see Tasmania go into the break up 48-44.

Adams, McVeigh and Weeks had combined for 36 of Tasmania's 48 points on 12/20 shooting, but Sydney had closed the rebound gap and had picked up some confidence.

Sydney again started the third quarter well and an and-one from Cooks put them back on top before MiKyle McIntosh responded with a make from three-point land for Tasmania.

A couple of Adams buckets had the JackJumpers back on top shortly after but the lead continued to seesaw the rest of the third period with Tasmania only on top 70-68 by three quarter-time courtesy of a pair of Fabijan Krslovic free-throws.

The stage was set for a massive finish and Magette opening the fourth quarter up with a three ball for Tasmania.

It was Sydney who soon took over, though, and it was all on the back of what Cooks was doing. He ended up scoring 11 of his 20 points for the game through a five-minute patch in the final term to put Sydney up 83-78 with two minutes on the clock.

Adams kept Tasmania in the game with his two remarkable three-point makes, but ultimately it was the killer blow delivered by Vasiljevic that sent the Hobart crowd firstly into stunned silence, and then boos which Vasiljevic thrived on.

Game 3 will be back at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena on Wednesday evening.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL FINALS – GRAND FINAL GAME 2

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 86 (Adams 36, Weeks 11, McVeigh 10, Magette 10) 

SYDNEY KINGS 90 (Vasiljevic 20, Cooks 20, Martin 20)

Sydney leads best-of-five series 2-0

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