Match Facts
Tasmania JackJumpers 77 defeated Sydney Kings 70
Boxscore
Summary
“This is why you came here…this is why you came here,” Scott Roth screamed at Will Magnay as he checked out of the game, with the win only seconds away.
Roth had promised Magnay big opportunities in Tasmania, and Magnay was huge as he led the JackJumpers to a 77-70 win over the Sydney Kings.
Magnay’s 12 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks was just one of several key performances for Tasmania, as they won their third straight game. He was supported by Magette (18 points) McVeigh (17) and Adams (16 points).
“The guys played very well, especially in the second half just in general with buckling down and making some plays and grinding the game out. Just really proud of them and the effort that there giving on a daily basis and the culture they’re building and it was a heck of a win for us,” Scott Roth said post game
The win indeed was a grind, Tasmania fell behind early following a strong opening by the Kings. Led by import Jalen Adams with (9 points for the quarter) and Xavier Cooks with (6 points and seven rebounds), they jumped out to a 24-15 quarter time lead.
However the match started to turn once the JackJumpers found their range from outside the arc. With Jack McVeigh and Josh Magette hitting multiple triples, they seized the lead from the Kings during a 14-0 run. On the other end the Kings couldn’t connect from outside, and when they went inside they were met by the wall of Will Magnay. He had 4 blocks for the half and had the MyState Bank arena as he continued his great form in recent weeks.
Tasmania ended the quarter 7/9 from outside for the quarter to stun the visiting kings and take a 44-38 lead into the second half.
The scoring slowed in the second half, with teams slowing the game down and look for high percentage shots on offence. The Kings continued to struggle from outside, and were working the ball down low. Despite only the two field goals, the Kings were getting back in the game from the foul line, where the consistently troubled the JackJumpers defense with their size and speed.
The JackJumpers held a four point lead into the final quarter and didn’t want a repeat of their last encounter with the Kings. That match saw them throw away a double digit lead in 4th to lose by 11. Tasmania continued to hold their lead, slow the game down, and look for the high-percentage shot. They were rewarded with spectacular plays from Will Magnay like this….
The final minutes saw the Kings again try to come back via the foul line. But their full court defense was quickly disolved by the JackJumpers which allowed several easy baskets and maintain a health lead until the final buzzer.
Coach Scott Roth was keeping the Kings to 70 points, but praised the JackJumpers offensive output.
“They continue to improve in areas offensively, we still have a long long way to go there. But we seem to be a bit more settled, and a bit more structured,” Scott Roth said.
Embed from Getty ImagesKey Takeaways from the game
Jack McVeigh stars again
After going scorless against the Phoenix and 36ers, Jack McVeigh has bounced back with two big games for Tasmania. In his last 2 games he is averaging 17 points, 62% FG and 50% from 3.
3 point shooting
The JackJumpers lived on the 3 point line, with 60% of their total shots coming from outside. They missed a few in the final moments that brought their percentage down to 30% (12/40). But that seemed impressive against the Kings woeful 3/23 from outside.
Free throws
They did take the ball inside far more, but the Kings more doubled the free throw attempts (33 to 14) over the course of the match.
The JackJumpers shot a season high 92% (13/14) from the line.
Up Next – The home stand has come to and end. But the JackJumpers (5-6) head north to take on Melbourne United (8-3), with three more road games to follow.
