Roth Calls Out JackJumpers Late Game Efforts

The disappointing nature of the Tasmania JackJumpers’ loss to the Adelaide 36ers last night is set to impact the rest of the team’s NBL23 campaign, with the team’s final quarter capitulation cause for motivation as the side heads into the back half of the season.

The game entered the final quarter finely poised with both teams even on 66 points apiece, but the JackJumpers rolled over to give up 27 points in the final quarter. They ended the game on the wrong side of an 11-point margin.

Key to Adelaide’s victory was their late dominance on the offensive boards, and JackJumpers head coach Scott Roth is calling for his side to show more effort on the glass.

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“There’s no talent in rebounding,” Roth said post-game. “Some of the greatest rebounders in the history of the game have been undersized guys who have a nose for the ball and just dig them out and go get them.

“It’s just energy, passion and ‘go get the ball’ at the end of the day … one of our focuses was ensuring we take care of the glass and they just pounded us in the second half with 11 offensive rebounds.

“They had seven in the fourth. It just allowed them to get extra possessions and extra shots. Their work-rate was much higher than ours – they made winning plays and that was it.”

Tasmania captain Clint Steindl has been utilised in a bench role since his return from a serious ankle injury suffered in the off-season, but he made his return to the starting line-up for the first time this season in what looks to be a great leap forward in the recovery for the sharpshooter.

Steindl, however, only played 14 minutes in the game as development players Isaac White and Sean Macdonald were preferred to him down the stretch.

“Whatever minutes I play I’m going out there trying to be effective and trying to be efficient, and I think I need to provide more in the effective area right now,” Steindl said.

“I mean, 14 minutes and one rebound? Our big guys are battling and we give up seven o-boards in the last quarter – that’s where I need to become effective and get some of those.

“’Whitey’ has been fantastic. His energy, his dfefensive pressure … he had some shots go in tonight and that’s what we brought him in to do. The same can be said for Sean Macdonald.”

The loss now sees the JackJumpers pulled back into the logjam of teams competing for a place in the top six. Now Tasmania, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne have all registered eight wins for the season. As the ladder stands only two of those four teams are likely to make the play-in.

While the JackJumpers have three games in hand over the chasing United, the Wildcats have only played 15 games for the season - one less than Tasmania and Adelaide.

Roth says his side can't rely on the late game comebacks that have started to become their trademark this season.

“A lot of these games are coming down to the last few minutes. We’ve navigated some of those with wins, but it’s a little bit of fool’s gold to think you can keep coming back from behind.

“That’s not our mentality. It’s a nice trait but I don’t think it’s worthy of anything in the long run other than it’s a good story. We just have to be better.

“I think the league is extremely tough and there’s no easy games. We’ve been in quite a few of these ones that are back and forth … you’ve got to navigate hard and get through that stuff. If you don’t you’re just not going to be in the playoffs.”