BRISBANE’S flying start to NBL27 has hit its first patch of turbulence, with the Bullets suffering a second consecutive defeat after the Tasmania JackJumpers took control in overtime to claim a 109-99 thriller at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
Just days after Sydney snapped Brisbane’s unbeaten 2-0 start with a commanding 93-78 victory, the Bullets returned home and produced a much stronger offensive performance, only to be overwhelmed by Tasmania when the contest went beyond regulation.
Tyrell Harrison was immense in the middle with 24 points, 12 rebounds and three assists on 9-of-15 shooting, but Tasmania’s starting five carried an extraordinary scoring load to steer the visitors home.
Taran Armstrong led all scorers with 29 points, while Will Magnay delivered a dominant all-round performance with 22 points, nine rebounds, six assists, four blocks and two steals. Josh Bannan added a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double and five assists, while Dakota Mathias scored 19 as Tasmania’s starters combined for 98 of its 109 points.
It was a vastly different defeat from Brisbane’s loss to Sydney, when poor shooting crippled the Bullets. Brisbane shot just 37.3 per cent from the floor against the Kings and connected on only 13 of a staggering 47 attempts from beyond the arc, while emerging star Max Mackinnon was restricted to nine points.
Import Velicka endured another difficult shooting night against Tasmania, making just two of 14 field-goal attempts and one of 11 from deep, but remained the architect of Brisbane’s offence with a game-high 13 assists alongside six points and five rebounds.
The Bullets will now head to the Snake Pit at Cairns Convention Centre on Thursday to face the Cairns Taipans, with tip-off at 6.30pm.
