ANY HOPES of going back-to-back in the National Basketball League (NBL) have become much less likely for the Tasmania JackJumpers after sustaining a big loss at home against the Illawarra Hawks to open the penultimate round of the 2024/25 season.

Coming into the clash at MyState Bank Arena on Thursday night, the JackJumpers title defence was under siege, with a combination of injuries and poor form resulting in the reigning champions dropping out of the top six and looking dangerously close to missing the postseason altogether.

Tasmania hosted the ladder-leading Hawks at home, which was always going to be a tall order for the NBL’s newest side. Illawarra’s best is the finest of any side in the competition, and despite a pair of losses to the 10th placed Cairns Taipans in recent weeks, the Hawks certainly had the capability to just about put an end to Tassie’s season.

The Hawks opened the game in fine fashion, jumping out to an early lead, despite Gorjok Gak getting the home crowd excited in the first few minutes with an and-one dunk. Illawarra simply had too many avenues to scoring, and led by eight points at quarter time.

Despite an improved offensive performance from the JackJumpers in the second quarter, the Hawks still won the period 31-21. Big man Sam Froling was making the most of a Tasmania frontcourt that lacked the defensive anchorage of Will Magnay, and produced 16 first-half points to see the visitors hold an 18-point buffer at the main change on the back of shooting 52 per cent from the field.

Although Milton Doyle was doing his best to keep Tasmania in the contest, the margin remained at double-digits for the entirety of the second half. Illawarra never led by any less than 11 points, and cruised home to an important victory for its quest to maintain top spot come season’s end.

On the other hand, the path to the play-in becomes even trickier for Tasmania, especially with their own poor form and the Adelaide 36ers finding their form over the past month. Now, the JackJumpers’ fate lies in the hands of other results if a miracle postseason appearance is to remain on the cards.

The Hawks won every major statistical category except fast break points in a simply dominant and one-sided display, and showed that when at their best, they can win at any venue. Come finals time, this Illawarra outfit will be the side to beat in the quest for the championship.

Froling finished with a game-high 18 points on 8/10 shooting from the field to go with seven rebounds, further demonstrating how high his ceiling is and his capacity to take over a match with his work inside the arc. Captain Tyler Harvey overcame some inefficiency from long range (1/8 3PT) to still have a big impact with 15 points of his own in a typically tireless display from the star guard.

For the JackJumpers, Doyle tried valiantly to spark something despite lacking some key teammates, posting 13 points in the second quarter alone. He finished the match with 17 points, while fellow import Jordan Crawford was productive on the offensive end with 16 points and seven dimes.

The Hawks will now turn their attention to the New Zealand Breakers in a dead rubber clash on Wednesday night, while the JackJumpers will cross the Bass Strait for a matchup against Melbourne United on Saturday.