Brisbane Bullets Outlast Tasmania JackJumpers in Tight Round 8 Finish

The Brisbane Bullets survived a frantic finish to hand the Tasmania JackJumpers their fourth straight loss, escaping with an 83–81 win at MyState Bank Arena on Saturday night.

Brisbane controlled long stretches of the game, building a 14-point second-half lead behind the dominance of Casey Prather and Tyrell Harrison, who combined for 49 points and 17 rebounds in a powerful two-man display.

Tasmania returned home after back-to-back defeats in Launceston but again struggled to find rhythm early, with Brisbane outworking them on both ends. Prather was the steadying force, finishing with 28 points and eight rebounds on 11-of-22 shooting, while Harrison was outstanding with 21 points, nine boards, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

Harrison also won the centre battle against former teammate Will Magnay, limiting the JackJumpers captain to three points, four turnovers and 10 rebounds.

The late-game drama mirrored Thursday’s loss to South East Melbourne. Once again, Bryce Hamilton had the ball in the final seconds, but instead of getting a clean look, Tasmania were forced into a rushed, low-percentage attempt that barely grazed the rim.

Brisbane also welcomed the return of captain Mitch Norton, who brought his trademark edge. He took charge, dove for loose balls and helped lift the Bullets to a +6 margin during his minutes, adding four points and five assists.

Tasmania showed fight late. Josh Bannan battled hard against his former side with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Nick Marshall matched him with 18 points and nine boards, Ben Ayre added 14 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting, and Hamilton contributed 16 points despite a tough night from the field.

A chaotic third quarter saw the JackJumpers turn the ball over on the inbound, leading to a Harrison dunk, and moments later, Prather buried a deep three to push the margin to 14. Tasmania rallied and closed the gap to level scores inside the final minutes, but turnovers hurt them at crucial moments.

Prather iced the game with a strong drive to the rim, and Brisbane held firm on the final defensive stand to close out their fourth road win of the season.

The Bullets improve to 5–7 and now face the New Zealand Breakers on Wednesday at the Gold Coast. Tasmania drops to 5–7, returning to MyState Bank Arena on Thursday to take on the Adelaide 36ers as they look to halt their slide.

Final score: Tasmania JackJumpers 81 defeated by Brisbane Bullets 83.