Is "NBA player" Travers unstoppable?

The matchup between Luke Travers and Jack McVeigh had been almost universally cited as a crucial battle in this Championship Series prior to Game 1’s opening tip, and Travers – and Melbourne United – took the opening game in commanding fashion.

Travers has taken his game to new heights in Melbourne’s Finals run. He pulled the team to victory in its overtime Playoff opener against Illawarra and stepped up with huge plays on both ends of the floor.

In the Game 2 defeat he put in a defensive masterclass with two blocks and four steals, and in Game 3 he ended with an efficient 15-point, seven rebound double-double.

He then showcased the best of his well-rounded skillset in the series opener against Tasmania with nine points, four rebounds, a pair of assists, two steals and four blocks.

Damon Lowery says the Wildcats could be kicking themselves for allowing Travers to join Melbourne ahead of this season.

“I’m sure there’s somebody over in Perth right now thinking ‘how did we mess this up?’, Lowery said on NBL Now.

“Luke Travers is an NBA player ... they’ve got three NBA dudes in that team in Ian Clark, ‘Delly’ (Matthew Dellavedova) and Luke Travers.

“Even though his stats weren’t glorious in Game 1, you could see what he can do. The guy can get a rebound, he can go coast-to-coast, and he’s not hesitating on his three-ball anymore.

“The only person maybe in this series that can stop Luke Travers is Dean Vickerman with those subs every six to seven minutes instead of letting LT just go off.”

After Travers’ stellar defensive job on Illawarra’s Gary Clark in the Playoffs, he attacked his direct matchup with Jack McVeigh in the Championship Series opener.

The JackJumpers were calling out for a hero for the entirety of the clash. They remained competitive, but couldn’t trim the margin. In similar positions this season, McVeigh has been that player to step up and give his side a fighting chance. Instead, Travers blanketed him.

“Luke Travers is that matchup with Jack McVeigh, and he forced McVeigh into some ill-advised, non-Jackie way shots,” Lowery continued.

“He got McVeigh out of his rhythm, so full credit to Luke Travers. He took the honours in Game 1, for sure.”

Game 2 of the Championship Series between Melbourne and Tasmania will be broadcast live on ESPN via Kayo at 7:30pm AEDT on Friday night.