Deng embraces big moments for JackJumpers

Majok Deng is every bit as important to the Tasmania JackJumpers front court as Will Magnay and Josh Bannan, and he continues to thrive in the big moments as he proved a match winner once more at MyState Bank Arena.

Across his entire 271-game career that saw him start in Adelaide and be a key part of a Grand Final team, then be a crucial part of the front in Cairns, and now in a third season in Tasmania, and Deng has always been a man who wants the ball in his hands in big moments.

He came up huge in the JackJumpers championship triumph too and even as part of the Olympic Games with South Sudan, but it's more than just about shooting and scoring for the big man.

Not only did he score 21 points with 6/12 field goal shooting and 6/8 at the free-throw line as the JackJumpers scored a third home win of the season against the South East Melbourne Phoenix, but he came up big when it mattered most.

On a night where the rest of the team went just 13/24 at the free-throw line, he made 75 per cent of his shots at the stripe including two with 14 seconds remaining while also pulling down a huge offensive rebound.

It might have turned out a dagger o-board like the JackJumpers always aim for, but it was still important and he also wants the ball in his hands as often as possible with a game on the line.

"Those o-boards are something that we work on at practice and I didn’t throw this one out for the dagger three, but just to crash the boards and put the pressure on them is something we really focused on and i was just in the right spot to get my hand on the ball," Deng said.

"Then I also always pride myself on being the guy that can take those shots at the end of games whether they're free throws or any sort of shots at those moments.

"I practice those a lot and I always try to picture myself being in those situations, and I just talk to myself about how this is nothing and I just have to take my time, and let it rip."

Before Monday night's game, Deng had only attempted a total of 42 shots across the previous six matches but he got 12 attempts against the Phoenix, making six of them including going 3/7 from three-point territory.

He also got to the foul line eight times and made six of them including those at the death to make it a three-point margin again, but he didn’t necessarily come out looking to get up more shots, it was all just in the flow of the game.

"I just try to play the game and let the ball come to me because we've got a lot of threats on the court and those games we're still winning even if I didn’t get many shots," Deng said.

"I don’t really mind about the shots as long as we get the wins, that's all I care about and obviously being a threat out there, being aggressive and taking my shots when the team needed it, that's my job for the team and I just have to pick my spots."

Not only did Deng came up with huge shots, the big clutch free throws and pick up a massive offensive rebound, but he also found himself isolated on the last possession guarding his former Adelaide teammate Nathan Sobey.

Sobey had already hit five threes for the game up to that point, but the length of Deng did help him miss his first attempt but he got a second look at it with an offensive rebound which also ended up off target.

Deng had the confidence to guard him one-on-one knowing the help defence he had behind him.

"I played with him in my first three years in the league and he's a great player obviously, and he shot the ball well from the three-point line and we know how dangerous he is," Deng said.

"Just being out there knowing I've got four other guys behind to help me meant I just had to guard him for three dribbles, and obviously he got a shot up and then I lost him there a bit on the o-boards.

"I probably got lucky on that one for sure."

The best part for Deng about the win on Monday night was to do it in front of another sold out crowd at MyState Bank Arena given they had lost six of eight matches in the venue so far this season before that.

Since he arrived for the championship season of NBL24, Deng has loved nothing more than playing in front of the Tasmanian supporters and couldn’t be happier to give them a win to celebrate in the last home game of 2025.

"It feels good getting a win at home and it was a much needed win because we've been close for a lot of times, but to finally get one for the fans tonight feels great," Deng said.

"We're obviously working hard every day and to get a win like this at home to start defending the home court is huge.

"It feels good to win for them because we've got the best fans in the league and obviously if this was another place, and we're losing too many games at home, they would turn on you but they haven’t done that for us.

"They're the sixth man for our team and they always give us life, and finally it was good to give them one."