An impressed Will Magnay has helped the Tasmania JackJumpers to a 9 level victory over Melbourne United as they shut the hole on the highest 4 within the NBL ladder.
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Magnay walked away with a profession excessive factors with 27 to go along with his first double-double of the season because the JackJumpers claimed a 84-75 victory.
The win for the JackJumpers now has them only one win away from fourth positioned Sydney Kings.
Magnay’s military flew out of the blocks hitting huge pictures and continued to stretch the lead in opposition to United who’ve now sunk to 6 losses from the previous eight video games.
Coach Scott Roth has regularly pushed his aspect’s effort on the boards this season and the JackJumpers pulled it out of the bag of their first sport of 2026 shutting down United with 45-34.
MAGNAY TOWERING PRESENCE
JackJumpers’ Will Magnay had been struggling in his previous few video games, and a carry from the Tasmanian captain wanted to come back as they regarded to maintain their finals probabilities alive.
Magnay did that in Saturday evening’s conflict with the Melbourne United because the 208cm large dropped a profession excessive 27-points to go along with his 12-rebounds, three enormous blocks and two steals.
It was additionally the primary double-double for Magnay in NBL25.
DOYLE’S ALMOST DEJA VU
In spherical one, former JackJumpers’ Milton Doyle acquired his new Melbourne United the factors in what was his first sport in opposition to his previous membership.
Three months later he returned to Tassie however this time he didn’t fairly have the identical affect regardless of an enormous closing quarter the place he scored 11-points, pulling United inside 5 factors with simply over a minute to go.
NOT SO UNITED
Melbourne United have been ranked as the most effective groups of the competitors coming into the season which additionally included a 9-0 begin to it however over the previous eight video games, United are usually not what followers have come to anticipate.
United have misplaced six of their final eight video games together with Saturday evening’s loss to the JackJumpers which is able to now flip to tackle the Cairns Taipans at house earlier than a tricky two sport interval in opposition to the Sydney Kings and the JackJumpers as soon as once more.
DRMIC RETURNS
It’s a constructive signal for any JackJumpers fan to see Tasmania’s vice-captain go well with up for his first sport again in two months.
Regardless of not taking part in a single minute, Anthony Drmic was all however dominated out for the season by coach Scott Roth after re-injurying his again at coaching in early November which meant he was unlikely to go well with again up.
However Drmic seems to be nearer than followers would have thought because the JackJumpers look to maintain their championship chase nicely alive.
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Earlier, the Illawarra Hawks lastly buried their bogey crew, taming Cairns Taipans 96-78 at WIN Leisure Centre on Saturday evening to remain alive within the NBL finals race.
Hawks coach Justin Tatum described Cairns as his crew’s Kryptonite within the lead-up to the sport and the Taipans caught to the script early on, main 49-45 at half-time.
However the defending champions performed like tremendous males within the second half and, by the ultimate buzzer, Tatum had registered his first win from 4 makes an attempt in opposition to the cellar-dwellers.
Illawarra turned defensive power into an offensive explosion within the fourth quarter to finish a three-game shedding streak to Cairns on their house courtroom, and enhance their total win-loss document to 8-13.
Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, Davo Hickey and Dan Grida supplied the defensive spark because the Hawks opened the ultimate time period on a 19-5 run, together with a 13-0 stretch, to blow the sport open.
After conceding 31 factors within the second quarter, Illawarra contained Cairns to 29 within the second half, and shared the scoring load with six gamers in double figures.
Tyler Harvey nailed 4 three-pointers in his team-high whole of 18 factors, huge males JaVale McGee and Sam Froling had 16 every, QJ Peterson (14) and Grida (11) supplied scoring punch off the bench, and Swaka Lo Buluk posted 10.
Illawarra’s subsequent sport is in opposition to South East Melbourne on the State Basketball Centre subsequent Thursday, and Cairns (5-17) will journey to Bendigo to problem Melbourne United on Wednesday.
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HAWKS START HOT
Harvey and McGee had 4 factors every because the Hawks jumped to an early 8-2 lead, which they stretched to 17-7 on a Hickey lay-up after six minutes.
Cairns struggled in opposition to Illawarra’s 2-3 zone early on however completed the quarter on an 11-5 run to chop the deficit to 22-18 on the first break.
McGee picked up his second foul within the closing second of the quarter as he made contact with Jack McVeigh on a three-point try.
TAIPANS TAKE OVER
Fast baskets by McVeigh and Andrew Andrews tied the sport at 22-22 simply 35 seconds into the second interval, prompting Tatum to name day out to learn his gamers the riot act.
The groups traded baskets for the following two minutes then Cairns took their first lead on an Admiral Schofield three-pointer with 7min 10sec on the clock.
Sam Waardenburg (11 factors) and McVeigh (seven) took over to information the Taipans to a 31-point second quarter and a 49-45 lead at half-time.
McGee had 12 first-half factors and eight rebounds for the Hawks however completed the second quarter on the bench after choosing up his third foul late within the time period.
FROLING ROLLING
In his third sport again from a torn Achilles, Sam Froling performed with no minutes restriction for Illawarra.
The Hawks wanted each a type of as McGee discovered himself in foul bother, and Froling maintained their presence within the paint within the third quarter as they made their comeback.
Froling fell in need of a 3rd straight double-double however nonetheless performed a number one hand with 16 factors, six rebounds and 4 assists.
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JACK AND SAM EARLY SHOW
Boomers wing Jack McVeigh missed the Taipans’ 93-76 victory over the Hawks in Wollongong on December 6 so he might keep house for the delivery of his first little one.
The sweet-shooting swingman made up for misplaced time early on Saturday, sinking 16 first-half factors to assist Cairns construct a 49-45 half-time lead.
However McVeigh was saved in verify by Illawarra’s Wani Swaka Lo Buluk after the lengthy break, and was held scoreless for the remainder of the sport.
Tall Blacks ahead Sam Waardenburg additionally had the recent hand early on, pulling down 11 factors within the second quarter, however needed to accept a team-high 17 by the ultimate buzzer.
TOUGH CALL
The Hawks gained however misplaced after they efficiently challenged a foot violation name in opposition to Mason Peatling late within the third quarter.
Peatling had a three-pointer waved off when he was referred to as for stepping on the sideline earlier than launching the shot from the nook.
The video evaluation confirmed his foot was in-bounds however the basket nonetheless didn’t depend as a result of the decision was made earlier than Peatling took his shot, so the Hawks needed to be glad with their 61-58 lead and possession from the sideline.