Who said pre-season doesn’t matter? Blitz delivers a thriller

Scott Roth was quick to downplay the importance of the matchup against former JackJumper Jack McVeigh and the Taipans on Wednesday night, but the intensity between the two teams told a very different story.

After just 25 first quarter points between Cairns and Tasmania, the game lifted in quality in a big way. The sold-out AIS Arena crowd was brought to its feet for one of the better CODE Sports NBL Blitz games you'll see.

Adam Forde’s team delivered a three-point shooting masterclass after quarter-time, going at almost 42 per cent from beyond the arc, while Tasmania’s bigs dominated the paint thanks to Will Magnay and Josh Bannan.

It was an overtime thriller that showcased some of the league’s top talent going toe-to-toe. Any thought of wins meaning nothing in the pre-season was quickly put to rest.

“I don't think I've seen that level of intensity in a pre-season game in a number of years,” Derek Rucker said post-game.

“The JackJumpers really jumped out early on the back of excellent defensive play, but the Taipans fought and they started to find a little bit of cohesion and rhythm.

“They (the Taipans) knocked down something like 20 or 21 three-pointers over the course of the final three quarters.

“If you haven't seen the game and you get a chance to go back and watch the coverage of it, just go back and watch the fourth quarter and overtime and you'll see two teams who were really playing to win tonight. It was great.”

Cairns has made no secret of its “all-in” Championship push this year, and their star signings showed exactly why they’re considered strong contenders in the title race.

Jack McVeigh (18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) and import Admiral Schofield (24 points), bringing 131 games of NBA experience, led the charge, while JackJumpers recruit Josh Bannan (22 points, 11 rebounds), Will Magnay (9 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Bryce Hamilton (25 points, 7 rebounds) delivered standout performances.

“It's turned out to be the best game of the four that we've seen thus far,” Rucker said.

“For a pre-season game three weeks out to get to that level and that standard, and the fact that we had an overtime game where we got some bonus basketball and the coaches were able to throw some things out there and work on their games. That's rare and it was something that was really exciting.

“I thought both coaches should come away from that one feeling really good about their team's prospects.

“Now they both got to play again at this Blitz, but when you look at the fact that both these teams probably come in here a little bit underprepared and right now I think you start talking about top six projections, man. Both coaches would feel like they have top six potential.”

Rucker said he was particularly impressed by former Brisbane Bullet Josh Bannan.

“(He is) a really good fit,” the former NBL MVP said.

“I thought Josh Bannan had good seasons with the Brisbane Bullets. Health probably limited his development there. He gets the chance to go to Tasmania. There was a need for him in Tasmania and it looks like he's going to fill that void nicely.

“I also like the fact that he takes away some of the physical burden from Majok Deng. He takes away some of the physical reliance on Will Magnay. And I think those guys are going to be better players because of Josh Bannan being a member of the JackJumpers.”

Two imports also shone, with Hamilton drawing plenty of praise.

“He is a bucket and left-handed,” Rucker said.

“He's smooth. He can get to the rack. He's very athletic, but also I like the fact that he's a catch-and-shoot guy. He doesn't play with it when he realizes that he's open and a shot opportunity is there. He had 25 points. He was excellent for the JJs.”

And Schofield just as impressive.

“Physically he's going to be a beast on the boards and as he gets comfortable with the league he'll be able to do a lot of damage in the paint,” Rucker concluded. 

Tasmania faces Adelaide on Saturday night in their second Blitz matchup, while the Taipans clash with New Zealand on Sunday, with both games streaming live on Disney+ and Kayo.