The Tasmania JackJumpers have continued to defy the odds in their inaugural NBL season, producing a devastating fourth-quarter run to secure a 80-72 victory over the Adelaide 36ers and keep their finals hopes alive.
The JackJumpers scored 16 straight points in the final term of Friday night's clash at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, holding the Sixers scoreless for six minutes to complete a stunning comeback from 10 points down.
The win lifts Tasmania (13-10) above South East Melbourne (12-10) into fifth spot on the NBL ladder as they close in on the fourth-placed Perth Wildcats (14-8) in their pursuit of an historic post-season appearance.
JackJumpers coach Scott Roth was delighted by his team's "culture win" after watching his side bounce back from conceding 28 points in the second quarter to hold the Sixers to 29 points for the entire second half.
"That's what teams do that believe in the culture and the character of the players, and you hold them accountable and they buy into everything you're doing," Roth said.
"To me that was a culture win."
Josh Adams fuelled the visitor's late surge with 11 fourth-quarter points on his way to becoming the first JackJumpers player to top 30 points in a game.
Adams finished with 31 points while Jack McVeigh added 14 as they provided the bulk of the scoring.
However, it was the JackJumpers defensive effort that proved the difference as Adelaide stalled with victory in sight.
Riding high with six wins in their past seven games, the JackJumpers now face a season-defining clash at home on Sunday against a Sydney Kings outfit shooting for their 10th win in a row.
"That game obviously will be exciting for us to be playing in our first year," Roth said, with an eye on their meeting with the second-placed Kings.
"It's not life or death but I think that these guys are more than willing to go out there and showcase everything they've been doing and we're excited to go play on Sunday."
A fourth successive road victory seemed likely for the JackJumpers as they took advantage of a flat start from Adelaide to skip out to a 12-point advantage.
But guard tandem Mitch McCarron and Sunday Dech combined to bring the Sixers' offence to life as the hosts built a two-point buffer at halftime then led by as many as 10 points in the third period.
Needing the maintain their momentum through the final quarter, the Sixers faltered as Adams scored eight of his team's 16 unanswered points to swing the momentum yet again.
"Adams did what Adams does, he's an elite player," Sixers coach CJ Bruton said after his team's fourth-quarter collapse.
"He got on that right side of the floor where he likes to dominate and he did his thing and got to the rim, kept the scoreboard ticking over for them."
