THE final Round 3 match of the National Basketball League (NBL) saw the Tasmania JackJumpers travel to Qudos Bank Arena to take on the Sydney Kings on Wednesday night. The JackJumpers entered the match as the underdogs, given they have one just the one match this season, while the Kings have kicked off their campaign in reasonably strong fashion. However, Tasmania looked likely to cause an unpredictable upset, as they took a reasonable lead in the third term, but the Kings were able to show their class, and pull off an impressive fightback as they stole the lead midway through the final term and never looked back on their way to a 12-point win.

FIRST QUARTER:

The game opened in see-sawing fashion, with neither side able to grab the upper hand as the two teams traded baskets. The Kings held on to a slim margin for most of the term, before the JackJumpers finished strongly and stole the lead. A shot from behind the three-point line by Tasmania captain Clint Steindl gave his side a three-point lead at the first break, as the JackJumpers showed the opposition and the crowd that they were more than up for the fight and came to play.

SECOND QUARTER:

The second period saw the JackJumpers take control of the game, as they extended their lead even further to put the contest on their terms. While both sides came out to play offensively in this period, it was Tasmania who were able to get the upper hand. The bulk of the work came from their starters, who pushed the tempo with ball in hand as they created either scoring opportunities or trips to the free throw line. They scored 28 points for the quarter to their opponent’s 22 as the lead stretched to nine points at the main break.

THIRD QUARTER:

The third quarter saw the same contested battle that we saw in the first period, with the JackJumpers well matched by their opponents. The Kings fought hard on the defensive end, and while they could not exactly fire on all cylinders on the offensive end, their work back down the court kept them in the fight. Both teams were only able to muster 15 points for the term, and while Sydney did not make any ground, their belief began to grow heading into the final 10 minutes of play.

FOURTH QUARTER:

The final period was one-way traffic, with the Tasmania offence drying up in the closing term. The Kings were unstoppable in this time, finally finding their offensive rhythm to produce one of their best and most dominant quarters of the season. They outscored the JackJumpers 29-8 in this term, truly showing how effective their fast-paced game style can be. They slammed the door shut in the final three minutes as they completed one of the biggest comebacks we have seen this season.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

For the victors, there were once again a number of strong contributors, but it was Jarell Martin who top-scored with 24 points. Interestingly, it was the most points scored by a King this season, which demonstrates their team-oriented play on a weekly basis. For the JackJumpers, Steindl led the way with 15 points, as he continues his run of consistent scoring form.