NBL: Tasmania JackJumpers' MiKyle McIntosh stars over Melbourne United

After all, what Roth was suggesting has rarely been achieved in any sport.

New teams to the sporting leagues seldom end up with winning seasons, let alone championship winning seasons such is the deal with establishing the foundations and culture of a new side let alone a winning roster.

Yet, admittedly after 12 games, basketball legend Andrew Gaze said there was no better team in the NBL than the JackJumpers.

Such is the territory that comes with beating Melbourne United 94-85 on United's home deck in front of more than eight thousand people to clinch Tasmania's fourth straight victory.

That burning ambition of finals remains for Roth, maybe Sunday night reiterated the possibility.

"I said from day one I want to win a championship this year, I want to be in the play-offs this year, it might be far-fetched to some but you're just in professional sports and you're just trying to win every game you possibly can," he said post-game.

Everything worked for the JackJumpers in the opening term, they landed five three-pointers, barely missed a shot, nailed their free-throws and notched up the highest scoring term by any team this season to head in at 36-23.

The biggest thing that worked? A 27-year-old, two-metre tall Canadian named MiKyle McIntosh.

The import has been subject to a lot of speculation since the season began and he featured primarily off the bench with limited minutes and impact for the JackJumpers.

At the opening term, McIntosh had nine points to lead all-scorers in his best period of basketball since the season began.

Eventually the import finished with 16 points and while other aspects worked too, like Jack McVeigh posting 17 points again (8-8 free-throws) including the game-winners, the Canadian's impact is a key boost to Tasmania.

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McIntosh admitted that the noise over his performance had been noted but he knew he needed to prove it on the court.

"I mean you always here chatters of people saying things or people online commenting things on different stuff but at the same time you are a professional athlete, it comes with it, some people don't like the way you are playing," he said.

"Out of all the people that didn't like the way I was playing was myself, I was hard on myself, so I did hear some of it, I try not to listen to it, I try not to focus on that because I've got to focus on my own process.

"People have the right to feel how they want to feel but I know what I can bring."

For Roth, the break-out game was confirmation that the Canadian could cut it at this level as a key part of the roster.

"I've driven him very, very hard because I have high expectations for him, I think he's ultra-talented at some of the things he does that's a little bit unique for the league," Roth said of his import.

"I am sure he'll admit it's been a bit of grind and it hasn't gone as smoothly for him as he would've liked but he had a break-out game [Sunday] at a perfect time on the road and put things together.

"That's what I expect from him on a nightly basis, it doesn't have to be with scoring, it just has to be with the intent to go and attack and ... play, facilitate the play and use his great size and speed to defend people."

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After spending much of the opening rounds with fluctuating minutes, McIntosh admitted his relief at finally delivering for his new side.

"It definitely felt great as coach said we just put in the work every single day at practice, come to practice every single day with the right mindset, been struggling like coach said," McIntosh said.

"It was just nice to have a win and also a good game at the same time after all the work we do as a team."

Roth has been unafraid to have straight down the line conversations with his players this season, as he did with Will Magnay and others this season, and it appears to have done the trick with McIntosh.

"He told me that from the time I got here in September until now is a great improvement in practice at least of the player that I came in as and the player I am now," McIntosh said.

"It was just the process, like coach always talks about, it was the process of always doing the same stuff every single day, consistency, I felt like I started to do that but it wasn't translating to the game.

"Sometimes its Jack McVeigh's night, sometimes its Josh Adams' night, [Josh] Magette's night, Will Magnay's night, it doesn't matter we all come in here we all love each other, there's no hate or anything like that."

McIntosh's effort added to former United championship winning player Sam McDaniel shutting down the Launceston-born Chris Goulding (29 points) in the final term, the JackJumpers were able to weather the United resurgence.

It was quite a storm from United. They flicked a switch after the first interval and pressurised Tasmania the way league on-lookers have become accustomed to Tasmania doing unto others.

It saw United grab more fast-break points as they pipped the JackJumpers overall in the second and third terms to make a homecoming win a possibility.

Yet the JackJumpers stood firm, as the one of the league's worst free-throw teams bucked the trend to go above 80 per cent from the free-throw line and make double the amount of shots of Melbourne from beyond the arc (12 to six) on the night, while United missed free-throws.

If someone offered the odds of a JackJumpers' win with Goulding adding 29 points alongside Lual-Acuil (26 points, 21 rebounds) who posted career highs in points scored and rebounds, some may have said Tasmania was dreaming.

Instead, they are now 5-2 in their last seven games and right in the mix for finals contention while a blockbuster clash against South East Melbourne Phoenix awaits.

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