WITH the weekend finally arriving, the National Basketball League (NBL) action continued, with Round 15 well and truly under way. Friday night saw an intriguing clash between the Cairns Taipans and the Tasmania JackJumpers at Cairns Convention Centre, with plenty of excitement heading into the clash.
The JackJumpers are still fighting for a top-four spot after a blistering period this time a month ago, while the Taipans have shown some reasonable form themselves over the past few games. Tasmania still headed into this clash as the favoured side, and they were able to live up to these expectations with a dominant performance on the road, claiming a 16-point triumph and keeping their chances of a remarkable finals appearance in their maiden season alive.
The match opened with the Taipans getting out to an early lead, as players such as Stephen Zimmerman getting involved on the inside, which was expected given Tasmania’s struggles defending the paint over the last few weeks. However, the JackJumpers grabbed control of the contest in the second term, producing a dominant performance from behind the arc thanks to some impressive efforts from Josh Adams and Jack McVeigh. From there, the visiting side was able to keep their opponents at arms’ length for the rest of the match and cruise home to a crucial victory in the context of their season.
Team Stats
| CAIRNS TAIPANS | TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS | |
|---|---|---|
| 26/57 (45%) | FG | 31/63 (49%) |
| 19/34 (55%) | 2P | 18/33 (54%) |
| 7/23 (30%) | 3P | 13/30 (43%) |
| 10/14 (71%) | FT | 10/16 (62%) |
| 29 | REB | 39 |
| 17 | AST | 13 |
| 2 | STL | 5 |
| 0 | BLK | 1 |
| 11 | TO | 9 |
As mentioned above, Tasmania’s biggest strength came from its long-range shooting, as the side clearly gained an ascendancy over the opposition in this area. The Taipans had no answer for the lights-out efforts of the JackJumpers, as the visitors broke away thanks to some success in this category. They say to live by the three is to die by the three, and luckily for the JackJumpers, this ended up being extremely beneficial for their success in the game. Their rebounding efforts were also too strong for Cairns, with plenty of players getting involved in the fun.
Top Points Scorers
| Josh Adams (20) |
| Jack McVeigh (13) |
| Fabijan Krslovic (13) |
There is no surprise that Adams tops the list here, as he has done so many times in the past. He continued his red-hot form of late, once again reaching 20 points and leading his side on the offensive end of the court. McVeigh chimed in for a crucial stint in the second period when the game was truly up for grabs. Krslovic also produced one of his most impressive performances of the season, registering three shots from behind the arc and taking full advantage of the starting position.
Lynx make it three from three with another winning weekend
THE PERTH Lynx made it three wins on the trot over the weekend as they enacted their revenge on the Bendigo Spirit, handing them their first loss of the season. The Spirit, 9-0 through the opening seven rounds of the year, faced the Lynx in a top-of-the-table clash just two weeks ago and came out […]
Basketball fans treated to Christmas double-header
ONE OF the most popular new traditions for the National Basketball League (NBL) is the Christmas Day fixture, and the 2024/25 season sees a double-header give fans plenty to be excited about. As a part of the 12 consecutive days of games over the holiday period, the games do not stop for Christmas, and both […]
Burton shows brilliance in tight loss
ALTHOUGH the Bendigo Spirit fell three points shy of the Southside Flyers in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) over the weekend, Veronica Burton delivered a performance that was worthy of a win. Coming into the clash, the Spirit had their unbeaten start to the season come to an end in recent weeks, and although […]
Jackies move into top four after gutsy win
MONDAY night in the National Basketball League (NBL) saw the Tasmania JackJumpers keep their winning streak alive by producing their most impressive performance in that stretch, upsetting Melbourne United by six points. Coming into the clash at John Cain Arena, the JackJumpers were dealt a massive blow, in both stature and impact, with big man […]
Hawks hand Wildcats heaviest loss of NBL25
THE PERTH Wildcats suffered their heaviest defeat of the season on Sunday, going down by 32 points to the league leading Illawarra Hawks. Perth entered as winners of four of its last five games but was well and truly dominated by the home side who move to 11-5 for the season and sit comfortably top […]
NBL25 Wrapped Mini – Round 13
THE FIRST half of Round 13 in the National Basketball League (NBL)’s 2024/25 season took place over the weekend, as the competition began 12 consecutive days of games. From Friday to Sunday, four games took place and there were some dominant team displays in that time as the contenders look to separate themselves from the […]
Wildcats looking to keep form rolling in tough matchup
SUNDAY takes the Perth Wildcats, winners of four out of their last five games, to the WIN Entertainment Centre to take on the Illawarra Hawks, the team who delivered Perth that solitary loss in their last five outings. Illawarra is clear on top of the NBL25 table, with a record of 10-5. They have also […]
Christmas round set to begin with double-header
DESPITE starting a day later than other weeks, Round 13 of the National Basketball League (NBL) begins tonight, with two games on the agenda as the bumper Christmas week of play kicks off. With just seven weeks remaining in the 2024/25 season, each week contains matchups that will certainly shape the race for the finals. […]
Lynx stun Spirit to hand Bendigo first loss
THERE are now no unbeaten sides in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) after the Perth Lynx defeated Bendigo Spirit in a top of the table clash that will shape the remainder of the 2024/25 season. The twos sides clashed at Red Energy Arena on Thursday night, and it was the top-placed Bendigo looking to […]
