NBL: Tasmania JackJumpers and Scott Roth in playoffs conversation

The American does want to talk about aspects like culture or his pressurised defence and willingness to play small ball. His ability to have conversations about the important things has been key to Tasmania's mesmerising form.

The JackJumpers remain firmly in the playoff conversation, one game behind the Perth Wildcats

The JackJumpers are creating history one game at a time. They were the clubhouse favourite in pre-season to be at the foot of the NBL table and are now on the verge of breaking the Tasmanian record for wins in a season.

Launceston Casino City secured 14 victories in their championship-winning campaign in 1981 and Hobart equalled the feat in 1987.

While Launceston sits on 14 wins and counting with three games left, their performances across the second half of the season mean they will finish their debut campaign above the 0.500 mark.

It is a feat that has league onlookers suggesting Scott Roth could be a serious candidate for coach of the year.

Roth has answered every question that surrounded his roster build in the pre-season in emphatic style.

READ MORE: Launceston defeat Tigers to start year with three wins

The questions about scoring ability have been buried after the JackJumpers' mindset of a shared scoring system was again at the forefront against Cairns.

Jack McVeigh notched 16 points and was important defensively with seven rebounds while MiKyle McIntosh had 11 points and five rebounds.

For the most part, the JackJumpers were playing catch-up as Adam Forde's Cairns came out strong in Hobart.

They won the opening half on points and Nate Jawai (17 points) and Majok Deng (13 points) offered plenty from the bench.

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If key guard Scott Machado did not go down with an injury in the third term, it looked likely that Cairns might taste success in the JackJumpers' home stadium.

But the key thing that has been neglected about Roth in the coach of the year discussion is his ability to have frank and robust conversations.

He had one with MiKyle McIntosh in the early parts of the season which inspired the import's improved scoring form.

He had another one with Will Magnay which coincided with the key big man being a major force defensively for Tasmania until the 23-year-old suffered an injury.

Roth had one again at half-time and it inspired Tasmania to a 26-10 third term which set up the 87-80 win.

"The conversation at half-time was that we weren't ourselves. Our aggressiveness and toughness, and everything we've hung our hats on all year needed to lift if we were to win the game," he said.

"The Taipans have just been murdered with injury after injury, and then Machado goes down in this game, but Fordey has done a heck of a job rallying them.

"But in the second half it was definitely a turnaround."

There is plenty of work to do for Tasmania to reach the finals with games against the New Zealand Breakers and South East Melbourne Phoenix to come in the next week and Melbourne United to close the season.

Based off the form line, with the Breakers losing their last five and Phoenix losing four of their last five and United losing two of their past five, the JackJumpers are the form team heading to the curtain call of the NBL roster season.

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