JackJumpers' comeback fall short to Bullets

The Tasmania JackJumpers kept fighting to try and overcome an 18-point deficit against the Brisbane Bullets at MyState Bank Arena on Saturday, but couldn't quite complete the comeback with the visitors prevailing 74-72.

Despite the Bullets leading most of the game, it always had a feeling it would come down to the wire with the JackJumpers' never-say-die attitude and that's exactly what happened.

In the end, a horror backcourt turnover by the Bullets opened the door for Josh Magette to cut the deficit to one with 30 seconds to play. 

Aron Baynes made one free-throw and the JackJumpers had a chance to tie it, Jack McVeigh had a good look with his trademark one-footed floater, but it rimmed out and the Bullets held on for the two-point win.

Tasmania came in having won five of its past six games including a strong win in Perth on Thursday, but it was a short turnaround and the Bullets came out impressively to open up an 18-point lead late in the second quarter.

The JackJumpers never fully got going but still gave themselves a chance with 17 points and three rebounds from McVeigh. Milton Doyle ended up with 12 points and three boards, Sean Macdonald 11 points with 3/6 from deep and Josh Magette 11 points, three assists and three steals.

Tasmania coach Scott Roth was happy with his team's response from a tough start, but it just wasn’t quite enough on the night.

"They were a little Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde kind of halves there but we held them to 28 in the second half and got back to what we need to be doing," Roth said.

"When you're playing defence at times and the ball's not going in, you can lose track of just continuing to defend and I think that happened to us, and we got a little anxious with some open shots that missed. We sit here 5-5 and the world's still spinning, though, and it's all good." 

Coming off the momentum of Thursday night's win in Perth, Jack McVeigh gave Tasmania the game's first three points but they did take a minute and-a-half to come. Brisbane then worked into the game with a 6-0 run.

The Bullets closed the first quarter with another run of six straight points including two strong finishes from Ty Harrison to head into the quarter-time break leading 19-14 with the JackJumpers unable to connect from beyond the arc.

Aron Baynes then gave the Bullets the first six points of the second quarter when he hit a three and turned it into a four-point play. Nathan Sobey drained a triple as well as did DJ Mitchell with the lead growing to 16 before finally the JackJumpers made their first three of the game after 13 misses.

It came from Isaac White and soon after McVeigh hit another, but Brisbane remained in control and another 6-0 run that included a dunk from Harrison after a full-court outlet pass from Harry Froling saw them up 46-30 at the half.

The Bullets shot 50 per cent from the field opposed to 29 to half-time while pulling down 24 rebounds to 17.The JackJumpers might have gone 2/18 from deep in the first half, but that soon changed to start the second with Sean Macdonald hitting two in quick succession. McVeigh then added another and suddenly it was a seven-point ball game.

McVeigh, Macdonald and Josh Magette all added threes throughout the quarter but Brisbane did well especially in their aggressiveness to live at the foul line and maintain an 11-point lead by three quarter-time.

The JackJumpers kept coming, though, and a couple of buckets to Sam McDaniel and then three ball from Magette had them within eight. Baynes did steady Brisbane with his team's next seven points, but Tasmania then hit the next nine including Magette intercepting a backcourt pass from Sobey to Johnson for the layup.

That made it a one-point game with 30 seconds to go and after the Baynes free-throw, Tasmania got a good look through McVeigh but it didn't quite fall and Brisbane held on.

The JackJumpers head into the FIBA break with a 5-5 record and will be next in action against the New Zealand Breakers on Friday November 18 at The Silverdome. 

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 6

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 72 (McVeigh 17, Doyle 12, Magette 11, Macdonald 11)

BRISBANE BULLETS 74 (Baynes 16, Sobey 14, Johnson 13) 

BOX SCORE