THE National Basketball League (NBL) is less than a month away from starting the 2023 fixture, and the preseason hitouts have rolled on over the past week.

This week’s action saw the Tasmania JackJumpers welcome Melbourne United to the Apple Isle for a pair of warmup clashes, with the hosts emerging victorious in both outings.

The first game took place on Monday night, with the JackJumpers taking on an undermanned United side that was missing a fair few pieces.

As a result of the different strength in the rosters, Tasmania had no problems getting the job done, claiming a 16-point win and giving fans a look at the team’s new lineup.

It was development player Sean MacDonald that stole the show for the home side, delivering an excellent offensive performance that could indicate he is in for a big year. A starter for the JackJumpers at times last season, MacDonald delivered 17 points in a bit of a breakout showing.

Tasmanian fans also got a glimpse of newly signed guard Jordan Crawford, who produced an accurate performance inside the arc. Well renowned for his ability to generate highlight plays with terrific verticality for his size, Crawford poured in 14 points, going 6/7 inside the arc.

In the absence of big man Jo Lual Acuil, Ariel Hukporti showed he is willing to stand up while the star signing recovers from injury. United looked to get the ball in his hands in the low block, and he overcame some close attention from the defence to pull down 13 rebounds in a towering display.

In the second game, the JackJumpers took home the chocolates again, albeit not without a scare from Melbourne in the final term.

On the back of some impressive work from guard Milton Doyle, the JackJumpers got out to a significant lead heading into the final term. This prompted coach Scott Roth to rest his starters in the final quarter.

It was a move that opened the door for Melbourne to make a bit of a push, with United delivering some excellent work on the defensive end. However, a pair of baskets to Fabijan Krslovic shut the comeback down, as Tasmania held on for an 11-point win.

Doyle was fantastic, pouring in 17 points in the first half en route to 22 and four assists for the match, while Krslovic was crucial with 15 points, seven boards and five dimes.

For United, Zac Triplett was strong as he enters his third season as a development player, finishing the game with a team-high 14 points.