HOW impressive have the new kids on the block been? The National Basketball League (NBL) kicked off Round 18 of the 2021/22 season with a double-header on Friday night. One of these contests saw the Tasmania JackJumpers head up to South Australia to take on the Adelaide 36ers at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, with the visitors looking to keep their hopes of a finals appearance alive and well. The JackJumpers came into the match as favourites, given their form of late has been much better than that of Adelaide. However, Adelaide has done quite well with the home court advantage throughout the season, so it really could have gone either way. In the end, Tassie was able to storm home in style to claim an eight point win and breathe some more life into its finals quest.

Adelaide 36ers (72) def. by Tasmania JackJumpers (80)

In a crucial result for their season, the JackJumpers have produced a fantastic final term to sneak past the 36ers to the tune of just eight points on the road on Friday night. Tasmania is still a chance of finishing inside the top four, so their clash against Adelaide ended up being a must-win, although the 36ers were not going to just roll over. It was a cracking contest, with both sides looking likely winners throughout the game, but it was the JackJumpers that produced a run at the most crucial charge, led by the terrific efforts of Josh Adams, who continued to hit the scoreboard in a big way.

The JackJumpers got out to a ripping start, grabbing a nine point lead, thanks to the irresistable scoring efforts of Adams. Tasmania led at the first break, but Adelaide was only just starting, producing a great second term to retake the lead as they rallied behind star forward Daniel Johnson. Half time saw the 36ers hold a two point lead over Tassie, with a potential upset brewing. Proceedings got a bit tighter in the third quarter, with neither side able to gain a real advantage on either end of the court, but Adelaide was able to extend its lead by two. However, the last quarter belonged to Tasmania, with the competition’s newest side outworking and outperforming its opponents offensively and defensively. A three point bomb from guard Josh Magette sealed the deal, and the Tassie train rolled on with win number 13 for the season.

As mentioned above, Adams was the star of the show for the JackJumpers, pouring in a game-high 31 points and making 11 of his 17 shots from the field. Tassie could rely on him for a bucket nearly every possession as he continues to prove one of the most valuable recruits of the offseason. Jack McVeigh added some handy points of his own, while Magette created opportunities for his teammates with crafty passing. Johnson fought bravely for Adelaide, but didn’t get enough help unfortunately.

The second match of Friday’s double-header saw the Illawarra Hawks prove too classy for the Brisbane Bullets at WIN Entertainment Centre. It was a win set up by a blistering offensive performance from Justinian Jessup, who poured in 29 points as his talents continue to shine.