JackJumpers win thriller over brave Bullets

Former Brisbane big men Josh Bannan and Will Magnay had 36 points and 23 rebounds, and debutant TJ Starks 18 points, but the Tasmania JackJumpers needed all of it to hold out the brave and shorthanded Bullets 84-82.

When captain Magnay threw down a wide-open dunk with 33 seconds remaining at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Saturday night, the JackJumpers moved ahead 83-82 with the 17th and last lead change of the match.

Brisbane big man Tohi Smith-Milner missed a three at the other end with 14 seconds left but Jaylen Adams soared for the offensive rebound.

Adams dished to Bullets centre Tyrell Harrison, who converted in the paint, but the score was waived away after the referees called it a charge, the Bullets centre making shoulder contact with Magnay, who went sprawling to the floor.

That saw Harrison collect a fifth foul and it was enough to see the JackJumpers secure their third straight victory, all on the road, up against a brave Bullets outfit missing Casey Prather (concussion), Javon Freeman-Liberty (ankle), Mitch Norton (knee) and Sam McDaniel (ankle).

Former Brisbane front court pair Magnay and Bannan came up huge for Tasmania with the former finishing with 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals, and the latter 23 points and 15 boards in his first game against the club he started his NBL career with.

Newly signed import TJ Starks, who is a short-term replacement for David Johnson, sparked the JackJumpers in the fourth quarter too on his way to 18 points on debut with Bryce Hamilton contributing 10 points, three rebounds and two assists.

Former MVP Jaylen Adams top-scored for Brisbane with 19 points to go with seven assists while it was Taine Murray who embraced his extra responsibility with 17 points including going 3/5 from deep.

Alex Ducas also had 12 points with Tohi Smith-Milner finishing with seven points and 10 rebounds, Tyrell Harrison eight points and seven boards, Tristan Devers seven points and four assists, and Jack Purchase six points on two triples.

Magnay and Bannan created early havoc in the paint as the JackJumpers moved ahead 20-14, before the Bullets hit back to pinch the lead on a 12-2 run either side of quarter-time.

After Magnay's steal and dunk briefly put Tasmania back in front, Brisbane regained control and led 45-42 at half-time.

The JackJumpers were dominating the boards 24-13 but were having problems stopping Brisbane's guards Adams and Murray, who had 12 first-half points, having previously never hit a single field goal in the NBL.

Behind their hustling defence, the Bullets scored the last 12 points of the third stanza to move ahead 66-58 at the last break before Starks sparked the Tasmanian rearguard.

The Bullets are now back on the road in Wollongong against the defending champion Illawarra Hawks next Saturday night while the JackJumpers have the last of four straight road matches on Thursday night to the Adelaide 36ers.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26

BRISBANE BULLETS 82 (Adams 19, Murray 17, Ducas 12)

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 84 (Bannan 23, Starks 18, Magnay 13)

BOX SCORE