THE IGNITE Cup action continues in the National Basketball League (NBL) tonight, as the Tasmania JackJumpers welcome the Perth Wildcats to MyState Bank Arena in what is shaping as a massive clash in terms of the standings.

There will be plenty of star power on the court for both teams tonight in what is going to be a blockbuster clash between two of the stronger teams of the modern era, both of whom have strong championship aspirations for the 2025/26 season.

With the two teams on differing sides of one-point thrillers last round, there is every chance NBL fans are in for another close contest tonight, in a battle that will likely be defined by which side gains ascendancy in the paint.

Tasmania JackJumpers vs. Perth Wildcats

MyState Bank Arena
Wednesday, October 29 @ 7:30pm

The JackJumpers were able to pull off one of the most remarkable comebacks of NBL26 to date in their clash against the Sydney Kings last Sunday afternoon. Trailing by 16 points with seven minutes to go, Tasmania came from the clouds to steal the win late at Qudos Bank Arena, with Nick Marshall the hero with his game-winning, buzzer-beating layup in transition.

It was the kind of never-say-die finish to a contest that the JackJumpers have become renowned for, although they cannot get into a habit of needing to dig themselves out of a considerable hole to get the job done. Tasmania will have MyState Bank Arena on its side and will be looking to get off to a strong start to avoid needing to repeat those heroics.

One of the biggest factors in the match is the battle between the two big men, in a classic battle of defence against offence in the paint. It is hard to find a better defensive big man than Will Magnay, but he will undoubtedly have his hands full with Jo Lual-Acuil, who has been in blistering form to start the season. If Magnay can get the better of that matchup, it will be a massive win for Tasmania in pursuit of victory.

The Perth Wildcats lost a thrilling matchup against the Illawarra Hawks on Saturday night, with the reigning champions able to come away with a one-point win at RAC Arena. Although it was a seriously entertaining battle, the Wildcats simply could not get the game-winning shot to fall late in the piece and lost by the slimmest of margins.

Despite that result, Perth has still started the season reasonably well, although admittedly its form has become less consistent of late. The Wildcats showed what they were capable of earlier in the fixture, and will be eager to return to that sort of form sooner rather than later, and what better way to send a message to the rest of the competition than defeating the JackJumpers in Tasmania.

The Wildcats recently made a splash by releasing import Mason Jones – who had found the going tough since joining the NBL – and adding David Duke Jr. into that spot. The combo guard has NBA experience and is tenacious on the defensive end, standing six-foot-four and often disrupting the opposition’s flow on that end of the floor, so keep an eye on how he fares in his NBL debut tonight.