Rd 9 Preview| JackJumpers @ Bullets

The Tasmania JackJumpers have flown straight from Perth to Brisbane to take on the Bullets for the third time already this season on Sunday with a chance to reclaim top spot in the NBL in the process.

The JackJumpers started their road double in Round 9 back on Thursday night in Perth and put in a spirited performance despite the continued absence of David Johnson, Nick Marshall, Bryce Hamilton, Ben Gold and Majok Deng.

But the seven players who hit the floor – Will Magnay, Josh Bannan, Kody Stattmann, Dakota Mathias, Taran Armstrong, Ben Ayre and Nick Stoddart – all put in a tremendous performance before the Wildcats claimed the 98-92 victory.

Now the JackJumpers have flown straight across the country to face the Bullets at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre and depending on what happens earlier in the day between the Sydney Kings and New Zealand Breakers, a win for the JackJumpers could see them reclaim top spot.

The Bullets might be the home team, but they are coming off an overtime loss in Auckland to the Breakers on Friday night and they also have their own injury troubles currently missing Max Mackinnon, Jacob Holt, Arnas Velička and inaugural JackJumper, Sam McDaniel.

It's the first time of the season the Bullets and JackJumpers have met, with Tasmania winning the first two meetings 109-99 in overtime in Brisbane, and then 106-85 at MyState Bank Arena.

Following Thursday night's narrow loss in Perth to the Wildcats, JackJumpers coach Scott Roth has no question that even if it's a seven-man rotation they have to go with again in Brisbane on Sunday, that he'll get everything each of those players have to give.

"I love our guys to death and there's always positives to take out of any situation, and I'm never browbeating them at all," Roth said.

"Behind closed doors it's a different deal but while they're out here fighting and scrapping and stuff, they're doing the right things, and our depth is obviously something that everyone's going to have tested at some point or another.

"This team that we currently play is probably going to be a little bit different three weeks from now, and the next team we play Brisbane, three weeks from now if we played them again they'd be different, and we're going to be different.

"All these teams are in this wash of having some guys out and eventually coming back, and so once you get past the FIBA break, there's going to be some teams that look completely different than when this whole thing started.

"Hopefully, we're one of those teams that gets some more troops back and we'll keep swinging."

Looking back on the loss to Perth, the JackJumpers gave themselves a shot and were right in with a chance of snatching it until the very end even with Roth heavily relying on the starting five of Magnay, Bannan, Stattmann, Mathias and Armstrong.

He couldn’t fight the competitive drive and the way they pushed themselves to the limit, and he'll continue to be proud of how they are fighting against the odds while missing a whole potential starting five with Johnson, Marshall, Hamilton, Gold and Deng still sidelined.

"We don't have a big margin of error and the guys fought like crazy, and of course I'm proud of them," Roth said.

"You know, the third quarter was obviously an important separation point there where we just couldn't get some things done but our guys' fight was incredible all night.

"I love our effort and the grit and grind with us is real."

Another positive for the JackJumpers to take out of Thursday night's game in Perth was the successful return of Ben Ayre for his first game of the season following a hip injury.

He got through 10 minutes of the game for two points and two assists, and Roth is looking to continue to build him back up now following that.

"I was hoping that we were going to do that a few days ago in Launceston with him, and really our due date with him was December 5," Roth said.

"That's what we were kind of building up for to be really fit and up and running, so to get him through before the FIBA break, and get him a few minutes here was a big positive.

"But he hasn't played basketball for quite a long time so those 10 minutes for him are quite valuable, and we'll continue to push him a little bit in Brisbane, and we'll go to work with him during the FIBA break and get him ready for when we come out of that."

Having missed the past three games now for the JackJumpers with a hamstring injury suffered against the Sydney Kings in Launceston, Johnson has gone on this road trip with the team firstly to Perth and then Brisbane.

He remains a chance to suit to take on the Bullets on Sunday which would mean that potential missing starting five on the injured list is down to four with Hamilton, Deng, Gold and Marshall.

"He's travelling with us, and I think he's probably more of a game time decision, but we'll see," Roth said.

"He had a very good workout today (Thursday) and we have two or three guys that are just on the borderline of before this break or for sure after the break.

"So the five guys that we're missing actually could probably be a starting unit at some point or another with Hamilton, DJ, Marshall, Majok and Gold. Those are five pretty good players."

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2026/27 | ROUND 9

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS v Brisbane Bullets

Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Sunday November 15, 5:00pm

Watch live on ESPN via Disney+, Foxtel, Kayo or Fetch