Rd 17: Perth Wildcats v Tasmania JackJumpers

Rd 17 – Perth Wildcats v Tasmania JackJumpers  

9.30pm AEDT/6.30pm AWST – Thursday 24^th March 

RAC Arena, Perth WA

Watch LIVE on ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel 

State of Play

It’s known as the toughest road trip in the NBL for good reason and the JackJumpers will be up against it in front of a passionate Wildcats home crowd at RAC Arena. The visitors will be looking to rebound from a heavy loss in Launceston at the hands of Illawarra Hawks, while the Wildcats have once again proved to be a powerhouse in #NBL22 with Bryce Cotton and Vic Law regularly dominating. The Wildcats are currently  2^nd on the NBL ladder with 14 wins.

Last time they met  

Rd13: Tasmania JackJumpers 78 def by Perth Wildcats 89, February 28 @ MyState Bank Arena

JackJumpers shot out to an early lead in what was the club’s inaugural ‘Teal Game’ supporting Gynecological cancer foundation ‘S.H.E’. JackJumpers led by 10-pts (22-12) but couldn’t find a constant threat with Jack McVeigh the leading scorer with 16. Wildcats clawed back the lead and ran over the top of the home side. Vic Law came off the bench with 19 with Bryce Cotton the scoring leader with 20. 

Recent form

The JackJumpers were starting to find some rhythm and momentum prior to the Round 16 clash with Illawarra. But that ground to a halt in the 2^nd quarter at the Silverdome as the Hawks dominated the rim. The JackJumpers will need to reignite the form that saw them beat the Hawks in Round 15 in what was their third win in a row.

Perth haven’t dropped a game since their last meeting with Tasmania almost a month ago, making for a six-game winning streak.

SRT Coaches’ take

Head Coach Scott Roth said “We need a few more wins, it doesn’t matter how they come. We have eight game left and we’re playing a championship level team on their court so it’s another great experience for us. If we’re going to make finals we have to make those jumps and know what kind of level we need to get to”.

“I have nothing but love over there. I love the people and the culture that’s been built, I have gret friends there. That’s the standard, the pride they have in their jersey, how they represent the state, that’s what creates winning culture and where we need to get to”.

“[RAC Arena] is a special place to play. There’s a few places in the world you really want to win, if it’s the NBA it’s Maddison Square Garden or maybe LA, but I think in Australia when you want to win a game that makes some kind of noise, you want to win in Perth”.

“Last time they worked us out of our game plan, they got physical, but we’ve taken some lessons from it” Forward Fabijan Krslovic said.

Ins & outs 

Wildcats: Mitch Norton has been ruled out with a hamstring strain. Ollie Hayes-Brown is also out with knee soreness, while Michael Frazier II and Corey Sherville are also out through injury.

JackJumpers: Will Magnay remains sidelined with knee soreness.

Opponents on the Radar 

Bryce Cotton – a clear favourite to claim a third Hungry Jack’s NBL MVP this season, Cotton has had another standout season so far. This season Cotton and Vic Law have been a deadly combination. Over their last four games, Vic Law has averaged 27.3ppg (at 61.6% from the field) and Bryce Cotton 24.5ppg (45%FG). 

Fun facts 

The Wildcats will be top of the ladder at the end of round 17 if they win both home games and United lose to the Hawks in Melbourne on Sunday. 

Perth are the highest scoring team in the NBL at 90.8ppg while Tasmania rank ninth at 77.8.

The JackJumpers have scored 90-points just twice this season (high of 96 at Hawks) Their top four scores of the season have been on the road. 

Mitch Norton has now missed all three clashes with the JackJumpers this season with various injuries.