Playoff Game 1 Preview: Wildcats v JackJumpers

Playoffs Game 1 – Tasmania JackJumpers V Perth Wildcats

Friday 8 March, 9.30pm tip-off AEDT

Perth Arena, RAC

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State of Play

Tasmania is the hottest team around, having won five straight and six of their last seven. They also haven’t just been winning these games, they’ve been dominating with an average winning margin of 18 across those six matches. The JackJumpers seem to be firing on all cylinders right now and could have peaked at the perfect moment to chase a championship.

Throughout the regular season, they have led the league if an offensive rating (118.8), which is new territory for them considering their first two years in the NBL they finished 8^th and 6^th in that category. Their success on that end in NBL24 is largely due to them having the right pieces on the floor and all playing at a slower speed compared to the nine other teams and executing every time down the floor.

The JackJumpers have picked it up defensively in the last seven games, holding their opponents to just 81ppg, compared to 91ppg in the seven games before that. They are also the only team remaining to have three players averaging over 15ppg. They are a well-oiled machine right now and are currently the best outside shooting team in the league at 37.7 per cent from deep.

Tasmania also have a strange déjà vu moment potentially on their side as they head to Perth. If you remember back to the NBL22 finale to the regular season, Tasmania hosted Melbourne United who after halftime decided to rest their starters, as their ladder position was locked in and the game was meaningless. Tasmania did the opposite and then went into a Playoff Series with United and beat them in Game 3 on their home floor to advance to the Championship Series. Does lightning strike twice?

Fun facts

Will Magnay ranks 1st amongst qualified players for blocks per game (1.8) this season.

Perth have had a 20 break since their last game, which was against the JackJumpers in Round 20.

Jack McVeigh is coming off back-to-back double doubles in his last two games

 Last time they met  

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL Round 20

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 86 (Doyle 24, McVeigh 20, Magnay 13)

PERTH WILDCATS 72 (Sarr 17, T Webster 15, Pinder 10)

Tasmania JackJumpers had extra inspiration in the club’s annual charity Teal game in the last regular season game, shutting down the Perth Wildcats 86-72 in what would eventuate as a Playoff prelude.

The hosts made the most of Wildcats star and runaway MVP favourite Bryce Cotton's late scratching, the guard rested as a precaution after copping a knock to the knee in the previous round.

Fit-again former NBA centre Magnay was back to his monstrous best around the rim as they silenced the usually prolific Perth offence and ended the regular season on a 5-1 run.

He blocked five shots, added eight rebounds, scored 13 points and defended the Wildcats' forwards so emphatically that Andrew Gaze pondered in commentary if he could be the left-field option the Boomers need at the Paris Games later his year.

His defence powered a 10-point run to finish the half and blow the game open, the JackJumpers up by 20 approaching the third quarter.

Milton Doyle had 24 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 5 assists in the win.

Perth made just five-of-21 triples and took nearly four minutes to score in the final term as the lead passed 25.

Ins & outs 

Tasmania JackJumpers: Marcus Lee will suit up after an injury scare in last week’s Seeding qualifier win. Clint Steindl will be a game day decision after tweaking his back at practice.

Perth Wildcats: TBC

Opponents on the Radar

Bryce Cotton

Probably the biggest concern for Tasmania in this series would be their inability to lock down opposition guards on a consistent basis. Throughout the regular season there were seven players who average at least 20ppg against Tasmania and only one of those was a forward/center in Gary Clark. Bryce Cotton is second on that list at 24.5ppg. Adding to that, Jordan Usher has also had success against the JackJumpers averaging 17 points in the three games he’s played against them.