The Tasmania JackJumpers have secured their first win of the NBL24 season with a vocal home crowd, and superstar Milton Doyle, powering them to a 80-72 win over the Sydney Kings on Friday night.
The match was not without some pre-game drama however, with a backboard smashed during the warm-up.
About 90 minutes before tip-off, the JackJumpers players were warming up when one player took to the rim with a force so big it saw the backboard shatter.
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Venue staff were quick to replace the smashed backboard with no delay to the main event.
In their first game at MyState Bank Arena this season, the JackJumpers responded from last weeks’ six-point loss to the Wildcats to add another entertaining chapter in the two clubs’ short rivalry and knock off the NBL’s two-time reigning champions.
Doyle was electric all night, finishing with 21 points which included a hot second quarter where he dropped 10 to sway the momentum back in the JJs favor.
The home side started the game with a 6-0 run before the Kings hit the board with two early fouls allowing the JJs to apply scoreboard pressure.
Despite the JackJumpers finishing the term with a 29.4 field goal percentage, their work on the defensive end saw them trail by just one point at the break.
They came alive in the second, with Junior Madut and Jordon Crawford dropping back to back threes before Anthony Drmic and Jack McVeigh joined the party from long range – the JJs hitting six threes for the quarter.
Ants skipper Clint Steindl saw his first minutes of the game midway through the term and made an immediate impact with a steal that brought the largest reaction from the home crowd of the night to that point.
Their success on offence, combined with some strong defensive efforts at the other end of the floor, saw the JackJumpers finish the half with an eight point lead, outscoring the Kings by nine in the second term.
Kings superstar guard Jaylen Adams finished the half with just two points before coming alive in the second-half to finish with 21 points.
Doyle’s hot streak continued to open the third, an early three extending the JackJumpers lead to 14, but an improved quarter on defense from the Kings saw them cut the deficit to just seven at the final break with an Adams drive to the rim successful right on the buzzer.
A six-point to one run to start the fourth snuffed out any real chance the defending champions had at starting the season 2-0 with the win proving a new-look JackJumpers side is once again a strong chance to make a third consecutive playoff series.
The Jackies will now face Melbourne United on Sunday at John Cain Arena while the Kings will return home to face Adelaide later that day.
Sports Reporter
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