JackJumpers Stay Alive with Win in Brisbane

There were almost some more late Anthony Drmic heroics for the Brisbane Bullets but the Tasmania JackJumpers got the win they needed to stay in the NBL finals race with an 84-82 victory on Saturday night.

Both the Bullets and JackJumpers came into the game at Nissan Arena on the back of dramatic Thursday night victories to open Round 17 in #NBL22. 

Brisbane found a way to escape in Cairns against New Zealand with a triple from Drmic on the buzzer while the JackJumpers stunned the Perth Wildcats out west.

The JackJumpers led most of the way as well against the Bullets but still by three quarter-time the game was in the balance. However, Tasmania started the fourth quarter on fire with 11 of the first 13 points to set up the eventual two-point win.

It got tight late, though, with Drmic scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter including a three with two seconds to go to make it a one-point game, but it wasn't quite enough.

That improves Tasmania to 12-10 on the season to remain in playoff contention with the Bullets slipping to 8-14.

Josh Magette finished with 15 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals for the JackJumpers with Jack McVeigh contributing 15 points and four boards, Josh Adams 14 points and three assists, and MiKyle McIntosh 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals.

JackJumpers coach Scott Roth was rightfully proud of the two wins from his team on the road in the space of three days.

"It's been a heck of a weekend for this crew. To go on the road and win two games and it wasn’t pretty, it was just gritty. There are some things to tidy up but they were just two, outstanding gritty wins," Roth said.

"One thing I'd like to say, these players have been tremendous. They bought in from day one and the group has been special so far and we have a lot more hard work ahead of us. 

"I've also got one heck of a coaching staff with Jacob Chance, Mark Radford, Jack Fleming, Mika Vukona and they are the engine that runs this thing. They are the engine getting these guys ready to go and I just kind of stay out of the way and let them do their thing. The staff has been absolutely incredible."

Robert Franks top-scored for Brisbane with 21 points to go with 12 rebounds while Anthony Drmic took a heavy knock to his throat but still had 20 points, three boards and two assists.

Lamar Patterson added 17 points and six assists, and Jack Salt seven points and four rebounds.

Bullets coach James Duncan was disappointed with the poor start to the fourth quarter that ultimately proved fatal.

"In the fourth quarter when we started with the four turnovers I think was the determining factor. We had five turnovers in that fourth and you can't do that obviously in a close, tight fought game like that," Duncan said. 

"We are turning over the ball, we're not getting on the rim and ultimately that was our downfall. Credit to the boys again for fight til the end of the game and making it interesting, but it's been one of our Achilles heels throughout the season has not been taking care of the ball or valuing it as much as we should be."

Coming off their remarkable win at the death on Thursday night, the Bullets started well going up 5-2 early on their home floor, but the JackJumpers soon found their footing to take the lead following a Josh Adams three.

Five points to Jack McVeigh and then eight in-a-row to Josh Magette had the JackJumpers up six which soon became 10 when MiKyle McIntosh and Clint Steindl completed their 8-0 run.

Tasmania still led 24-16 by quarter-time and the lead was out to 12 on the back of triples to Jock Perry and McIntosh to open the second term.

Brisbane weren’t going away, though, and the reintroduction of Robert Franks after his two early fouls helped turn the tide. He came out and hit seven quick points, which sparked a 6-0 run.

Lamar Patterson then hit his first two field goals of the game before Franks connected from downtown and so did Tanner Krebs. However, a steal and dunk on the half-time buzzer for Tasmania to McIntosh had the visitors up 46-43.

Tasmania extended that lead to start the second half with three balls to Adams and McVeigh, but Franks continued to keep the Bullets close, and by three quarter-time the JJ's were only up by five with the game up for grabs.

Tasmania blew the game open to start the fourth quarter starting with Sam McDaniel and Sean MacDonald scoring for the first time on the night. They then went on a 7-0 run to be up 74-60.

To Brisbane's credit they fought the game out and did get back within four on a couple of occasions, and then suddenly when Magette missed two free-throws, Drmic repeated his deeds of Thursday with a three with 2.1 seconds to go to make it a one-point game.

After Steindl hit a free-throw, Brisbane didn’t have time to get off one final look and Tasmania held on for the crucial win.

Brisbane is next up against the Illawarra Hawks on Friday night in Wollongong while the JackJumpers are on the road to the Adelaide 36ers on Friday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 17

BRISBANE BULLETS 82 (Franks 21, Drmic 20, Patterson 17)

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 84 (Magette 15, McVeigh 15, Adams 14) 

BOX SCORE