IN THE National Basketball League (NBL) on Saturday night, the Illawarra Hawks managed to take down the Tasmania JackJumpers in Tasmania, beating them 101-91.

Things fell apart in the second quarter for Tasmania, as it allowed Illawarra to score 33 points to build a strong double-digit lead by halftime. That quarter lost the hosts the game, as in the second half, the JackJumpers actually scored more than the Hawks, but that would not matter in the end due to that patch of the game.

Things have gone from bad to worse as of late for Tasmania, as first Will Magnay was ruled out for the season, and then just a few days later, Bryce Hamilton devastatingly tore his ACL. With the two most crucial players now out for the season and for finals, this drastically changes things for the teams below Tasmania, who now have a huge opportunity to jump up a spot to take its sixth spot to make finals.

Illawarra was able to take advantage of that, shooting an incredibly efficient 56 per cent from the field. JaVale McGee dominated in the paint, as the loss of Magnay in the interior was a major factor in allowing McGee so many paint touches. McGee shot a hyper-efficient 90 per cent from the field and had 23 points and eight rebounds. QJ Peterson was a problem all throughout, scoring 19 with six assists, and Sam Froling put in a solid 16.

Josh Bannan and David Johnson decided to take over the scoring duties for Tasmania, with Bannan having a 26-point game and Johnson having 21. Anthony Drmic, now back from injury, pitched in 13 points in 18 minutes, and Ben Ayre came off the bench and scored 12.

Hopes have been crushed in Tasmania, with the loss of two of the most pivotal players on the team now being out, but there still is a glimpse of hope if the rest of the squad is able to step up and perform for the rest of the season.