ROUND 9 Game Preview v Adelaide 36ers

GAME PREVIEW –

Round 9 – Tasmania JackJumpers v Adelaide 36ers

Saturday 2 December, 8.00pm tip-off

MyState Bank Arena

Watch LIVE on ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel

State of Play

The JackJumpers come out of the break injury-free and sit in third position heading in Round 9. After a lighter week on the track, the group is refreshed and ready for a bumper run into Christmas and through January.

Adelaide will be backing up from Thursday’s game against New Zealand, with a tough road trip from Christchurch to Hobart.

Will Magnay’s impact on the defensive end has been immense since his return from injury. He sits leads the league in blocks, averaging 4 per game and he is second in the NBL for Rebounds with 13 per name from his 3 games.  

The battle between Magnay and Marcus Lee against talented 36ers bigs Isaac Humphries and Tohi Smith-Milner will be crucial to the clash, while walking buckets Milton Doyle and DJ Vasiljevic will go head-to-head.

The JackJumpers’ ball movement will be important to get open looks for Doyle, Jack McVeigh and Jordon Crawford, while Anthony Drmic will lead defensive efforts crashing the glass and protecting the paint against his former team.

Fun Facts

Tasmania have won the last 4 games against the 36ers.

Adelaide ranks 1st in the league for free throw percentage this season (78.0%) and Isaac Humphries is the only qualified Center in the league shooting at least 80% from the free-throw line this season.

Adelaide has lost the first half in each of its last nine games.

Last time they met  

NBL24 ROUND 7, 11 November 2023

ADELAIDE 36ERS 72 (Vasiljevic 16, Humphries 10, Flowers 8)

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 82 (Crawford 17, McVeigh 14, Doyle 13)

The JackJumpers absorbed a late Sixers rally after smothering the home side defensively for the first three quarters, silencing the sold-out crowd of 9440 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

Import Jordon Crawford (17 points) and former 36er Jack McVeigh (14) led the Tassie charge, while the multi-skilled Milton Doyle (13 points, eight assists, four steals) was influential at both ends as the hosts were restricted to 15, 16 and 16 in the opening three terms.

After the JackJumpers' buffer ballooned to 66-47 on Crawford's trey to start the fourth, Vasiljevic inspired a 16-4 spree to close the gap to seven points before Doyle and Anthony Drmic terminated the comeback.

SRT Logistics Coaches’ take

Assistant Coach Mark Radford said “they’re a talented side, their record might not tell that story just at the moment but they’re finding their rhythm and they look dangerous for much longer periods now.

“We’ve had a good break, the groups healthy and moving well. And to be back on our home floor at MyState is huge, the crowd in there is really important to create that fortress environment so looking forward to getting that buzz from the home floor again”.

Ins & outs 

Tasmania JackJumpers: NA

Adelaide: Trey Kell II returned from a leg injury during the week.