ROUND 13 of the National Basketball League (NBL)’s 2021/22 season resumed on Saturday evening, with a double-header giving fans some entertainment for the night. Things kicked off at Nissan Arena, when the Brisbane Bullets welcomed the Tasmania JackJumpers to their home court as the two sides prepared to face off.

The JackJumpers had been in excellent form of late, winning five of their last six and emerging as a genuine finals chance, while the Bullets were looking to bounce back after a close loss to the Phoenix in Round 12. Drawing on the strength of their home crowd, the Bullets were able to get the job done in the end, claiming an eight-point win.

Team Stats

The Bullets were able to excel in a number of these key statistical categories, which led them to the win in the end. The biggest area of success came from their shooting inside the arc, as they made nearly two-thirds of their shots in this area. Their dominance inside the paint came from a number of contributors, but the main two ended up being Robert Franks and Lamar Patterson. The duo have been a focal point of Brisbane’s offence all season, and it was on full display here, with the two sinking four shots from two-point territory each.

The victors were also able to assert their dominance in the rebounding category, pulling down five more boards than their opponents despite shooting a higher percentage from the field. Franks was also a strong performer in this area, finishing with a game-high 11 rebounds next to his name. This success allowed the Bullets to generate more scoring opportunities, which ended up paying dividends.

The final area of excellence from the Bullets came in their ability to make it to the free throw line. The JackJumpers were lacking a premier interior defender with the absence of Will Magnay, and the Bullets took full advantage of this. They managed to get to the charity stripe 16 more times than their opponents, and this was one of the deciding factors in the contest.

Top Points Scorers

As mentioned abovem there were no two better performing players on the court than Franks and Patterson, with the pair combining for 39 points. They both also recorded double-doubles, with Franks pulling down 11 boards to go with his 23 points, while Patterson added 10 assists to his 16 points. The duo were a major reason why the Bullets were able to get over the line, and will be crucial to the team’s success moving forward. Sobey was also excellent, and did his best work in getting to the free throw line. He made all nine of his shots from the charity stripe, which gave his side a bit of breathing room when the JackJumpers made their charge late.