Season done, JackJumpers turn focus to finals

The Tasmania JackJumpers couldn’t move from sixth position no matter the result on Wednesday although they wanted to send off chief executive Christine Finnegan in style, but it wasn’t to be with the Illawarra Hawks winning 103-70.

It was a clash of the last two NBL championship winning teams at MyState Bank Arena with the JackJumpers guaranteed of finishing sixth no matter what happened and the Hawks out of finals calculations.

It was also the last home game in charge of the JackJumpers for outgoing chief executive Finnegan so it was an emotional occasion, but the JackJumpers just had no answers for the Hawks as the night unfolded.

Illawarra were leading 54-34 already by half-time with Majok Deng and Josh Bannan combining for 24 points on 7/12 shooting but the rest of the team only managed 10 points on 4/22 from the floor before the Hawks continued on in the second half for the 33-point victory.

It was a tough all-round night for the JackJumpers as they finished off shooting 32 per cent from the field and 3/24 from three-point range while having just the seven offensive rebounds and nine assists.

Bannan finished the game with 17 points and four rebounds for Tasmania with Tyger Campbell also ending up with 17 points and three boards with both players combining to go 9/9 at the free-throw line.

Deng also had 11 points with four rebounds and two blocked shots while David Johnson contributed nine points, six boards, two assists and two steals despite shooting 3/13.

Archie Woodhill also ended up with five points and five rebounds, Anthony Drmic five points and two boards, Nick Marshall four points, five rebounds and two assists, and Nick Stoddart two points and two assists before he rolled his ankle in the second half.

The Hawks ended up making 13/31 at 42 per cent from behind the arc combined with pulling down 18 offensive rebounds and having 21 assists to just nine turnovers in what was a recipe to their win.

Tyler Harvey made 6/10 from downtown for 21 points with QJ Peterson making 3/6 for 20 points while three-time NBA champion and Olympics gold medallist JaVale McGee had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The JackJumpers made an encouraging enough start before the Hawks got rolling with QJ Peterson, JaVale McGee and Tyler Harvey combining for seven straight points.

Illawarra went on another nine straight points too topped off by a triple from Peterson before that lead got out to 12 with a three ball from Harvey.

Tasmania brought it back to eight with Josh Bannan and Anthony Drmic scoring just before quarter-time, and then the home team was able to bring it back to five early in the second period.

The Hawks then responded with the next nine points starting with three-pointers from Wani Swaka Lo Buluk and Harvey with the lead growing to 14 with another 9-0 run.

Illawarra then closed the half with the last nine points too and that saw then in control leading 54-34 with shooting 44 per cent to 33 in the opening 20 minutes, and making 8/18 from three-point range opposed to 0/10.

The JackJumpers did score the opening four points of the second half but they couldn’t build any momentum with the Hawks out to a 30-point advantage when Mason Peatling landed a three ball on three quarter-time on the way to the eventual 33-point victory.

The JackJumpers now will turn their attention to opening the finals series in two weeks' time when they play in a cut throat Play-In Qualifier on the road to either Melbourne United or the Perth Wildcats.

Their opponents will be decided with the last round games to be played over the next two days.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26 – ROUND 22

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 70 (Bannan 17, Campbell 17, Deng 11)

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 103 (Harvey 21, Peterson 20, McGee 15)

BOX SCORE