JackJumpers shoot themselves closer to finals

Nick Marshall already had 23 points by half-time, the Tasmania JackJumpers had 12 three-pointers and they went on with the job to destroy the shorthanded Brisbane Bullets 114-70 to be a step closer to locking in sixth position.

The Bullets were always up against it to compete on arrival at MyState Bank Arena in the absence of Tyrell Harrison and Sam McDaniel with Javon Freeman-Liberty, Casey Prather, Lamar Patterson and Dakota Mathias ruled out for the season, and then Terry Taylor suspended.

Alex Ducas and Tristan Devers were then done through injury before half-time on Friday night and the JackJumpers took full advantage not only to further consolidate sixth position but to make it a memorable night in the Teal Game to raise funds and awareness for the SHE Gynaecological Cancer Group.

Marshall had the night of his NBL career with 17 points in the first quarter on 5/5 three-point shooting before having 23 at the half and 31 for the game with 7/8 three-point shooting.

In the end, it was a franchise record score of 114 points for the JackJumpers on 60 per cent field goal shooting and 16/33 from downtown with the 44-point winning margin also their biggest ever.

Josh Bannan also ended up with 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists, Tyger Campbell 15 points, three boards, three assists and two steals, Nick Stoddart 11 points, and David Johnson 10 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.

The Bullets will now just be crying out for the season to end at 6-24 with 10 straight losses and battling to have enough fit bodies to play.

Coach Darryl McDonald had to lean on Hunter Maldonado (18 points), Mitch Norton (17), Taine Murray (nine, three assists), Jacob Holt (nine, nine rebounds) and Tohi Smith-Milner (nine points, three boards, two assists).

Marshall exploded early with 17 points on perfect 6/6 shooting in the first quarter, including five threes, to steer Tasmania to a 33-14 lead.

The JackJumpers posted their highest first-quarter score of the season with nine made threes.

The score ballooned to 57-31 by half-time, with Marshall's 23 points to that point coming on 9/10 shooting.

Tasmania were relentless, riding the momentum in front of a raucous home crowd with the added motivation of the occasion of the Teal Game for the SHE Gynaecological Cancer Group.

The JackJumpers are now next in action next Saturday on the road to the South East Melbourne Phoenix while the Bullets have a quick turnaround and will be doing well to put a team out there when they host the Cairns Taipans on Sunday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26 – ROUND 20

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 114 (Marshall 31, Bannan 18, Campbell 15)

BRISBANE BULLETS 70 (Maldonado 18, Norton 17, Murray 9, Holt 9, Smith-Milner 9)

BOX SCORE