McVeigh’s miracle shot has Tasmania JackJumpers on verge

“I just wanted to shoot it baby – I just want one more [win],” McVeigh told ESPN soon after the buzzer.

“I’m going to have to go home, text some loved ones and hope they can talk some trash and bring my head back down so we can go out in game four and win this.”

JackJumpers coach Scott Roth encouraged his players to celebrate the win on the night as “life is short” but from Monday they will be chasing one more win.

“It’s just another shot [right now] but if we happen to win a championship, then it will be a shot that everyone talks about,” Roth said.

“But, right now, it is just another half-court shot that went in.

“He’s had two of them this year [game winners], he’s one of those guys who loves those moments.

“But we haven’t done anything yet. We are excited to win in this building, but have to come back down, recuperate and get ready [for game four].”

McVeigh put up a prayer from well behind the three-point line after United star Matthew Dellavedova turned over an in-bounds pass with 8.1 seconds left.

The play capped a frantic final few minutes in which the lead changed hands seven times, Dellavedova had previously made a three-pointer and a shot at the bucket which could have handed his side the win, at least until McVeigh took his moment.

Dellavedova led his side with 21 points and eight assists admitted he was left “very disappointed and frustrated” by the defeat and took some of the blame.

“[It was] obviously a bad pass, Jack hits a big shot, but now we’ve just got to recover and focus to see what we can do better down there (in Hobart),” Dellavedova said.

The JackJumpers lost import big man Marcus Lee to a nasty-looking knee injury in the third quarter and he will get scans in Hobart on Monday with his side hoping he can play a role in either game four or, if needed, game five.

Veteran big man Majok Deng stood up in his place scoring 15 points in a final-term cameo.