Sitting just outside the top four, the JackJumpers have two pivotal games in round 14 that will determine if they can stay in touch with the league leaders. They begin on the road with a Saturday night matchup against the out-of-form Brisbane Bullets. Before heading home for a Monday night blockbuster against the Perth Wildcats.
Tasmania JackJumpers (7-7) vs Brisbane Bullets (5-10)
Nissan Arena, Saturday 26 Feb 5.30pm (AEST)
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The only time these two teams have met was the opening match of the season, when Tasmania recorded its historic first win‘ with a 83 to 74 overtime victory in Hobart. But this game is crucial for the Bullets, who are running out of time to turn their season around.
After a solid star to the season beating Perth, SE Melbourne, Sydney and Illawarra, the Bullets have slumped to 1-7 in their last 8 games. Most recently falling short on Thursday night in the Sunshine Stoush in Cairns. The good news for Bullets fans is they are back on their home floor where they are 3-3 this season.
The Bullets welcomed back Nathan Sobey into the lineup against Cairns following a foot injury, where played 13 minutes as he returned to full fitness. The Bullets were 1-3 in Sobey’s absence and desperately need his help on the offensive end to help Robert Franks, Lamar Patterson and Jason Cadee.
On the flipside, the Tasmania JackJumpers come into the match in great form, winning five of their last six. With their last game against Illawarra in Wollongong being arguably their best match for the season.
Their recent wins have come off the back of strong outside shooting from Josh Adams, Josh Magette, Sam McDaniel and Clint Steindl.
There will be no homecoming party for big man Will Magnay, the Queenslander is still sidelined with a knee injury. His absence shouldn’t be too heavily felt in this match, as the Bullets don’t possess elite bigs that will cause too many problems as other NBL teams. The Bullets are currently ranked 7th for rebounds (36.7 per game) in the NBL while the JackJumpers are 9th (35.0 per game).
Defense will be the key in this game. Brisbane allow 86.5 points per game, which is 2nd last in the league, while the JackJumpers are a league best 77.9. If the JackJumpers find their range from outside again this week, its hard to how Brisbane will be able to match them.
For Brisbane though, Franks and Patterson both have the ability to score inside and out. With no Will Magnay, they will need MiKyle Macintosh and Jack McVeigh to step up again defensively in the paint. Stopping those two will be key if Tasmania want to walk away with the win.
Tasmania JackJumpers (7-7) vs Perth Wildcats (8-5)
My State Bank Arena, Monday 28 Feb 7.30pm (AEST)
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This match will be a great test for the JackJumpers, as they take on one of the championship favorites on their home floor in Hobart.
The teams have only faced each other once, where the Wildcats poured in 101 points on their home floor as they cruised to a 18 point win. Tasmania have improved significantly since that match in December, and this match will see how far they have come.
In their previous matchup Vic Law and Bryce Cotton dominated for a combined 55 points and 19 rebounds. Shutting down those two will be the key for the JackJumpers, who have built their game on the defensve end and are arguably the best defensive unit in the league.
With no Magnay, Kyle McIntosh will play a key role on the defensive end for Scott Roth. He has the size and speed to match Vic Law, but it will be a matter of staying out of foul trouble for McIntosh.
Mondays game is set to be a three point shootout, with Perth (32.0) and Tasmania (30.7) leading the league in most 3 point attempts per game. The JackJumpers will continue to be led by Josh Adams and Josh Magette, who have combed for 22 threes made at 51% in their last three games.
Sam McDaniel will also be keen to continue his hot form he showed against Illawarra, where he scored a career high 20 points. Sam will also benefit over the weekend with more playing time, with Matt Keyon recovering from a hand injury that occurred at training. With Matt our of the team its likely McDaniel will move back into the starting lineup, bring his defensive intensity and a solid 3 point option on the corners.
The match will also be Perth’s first game in Hobart this season despite being based in the city for two months due to Western Australia’s COVID border restrictions. The two teams are quite familiar with each other with several Wildcats players and coaching staff moving to the JackJumpers in the off season. But also both teams have been sharing training facilities at MyState Arena and the Kingborough Sports Centre since December.