36ers aiming to jumpstart season at home

Adelaide will be looking to get their NBL24 season kickstarted on Saturday night when the 36ers host Tasmania JackJumpers on Brett Maher Court at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

After two consecutive wins, the 36ers fell to the Wildcats in Perth last week, but showed real fight in the second half, erasing a 20-point deficit to take the lead during the final quarter.

Head coach CJ Bruton said it’s important his side move on and focus on Saturday night’s game and not lament on what might have been in The Jungle.

“From the outside looking in, we are still dealing with some stuff, but overall, who cares, when you step on the court or on the field in sports, everyone is expected to give their best,” Bruton said.

Captain Mitch McCarron said it will be a huge honour for the 36ers to play on Remembrance Day and can’t to see what the ADF Appreciation Round brings.

“It was great to meet those guys and share some stories with them and talk about where they have been overseas,” McCarron said.

“Some of their journeys, they go away for seven months at a time, so it was just awesome to meet them and compare lives.”

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McCarron said Adelaide is prepared for the JackJumpers’ style, Tasmania renowned for its defense and the visitors have won four of the past five clashes between the two sides.

“We know they want to play at their tempo, but we played them in the pre-season and we competed quite well and we were undermanned,” McCarron said.

Tasmania defeated Adelaide 86-82 at the NBL Blitz but the 36ers were missing Jacob Wiley, Trey Kell, Jason Cadee and DJ Vasiljevic.

Adelaide will face a JackJumpers side wanting to celebrate big milestones, with captain Clint Steindl playing his 300^th NBL game, while Jared Bairstow will make his 100^th league appearance.

“When I first started out in Cairns it was myself, my parents and my sister. Now I get to share it with my wife and two kids. For me, that's the best part,” Steindl said this week.

“I certainly didn't dream of playing 300 when I first got into playing professional basketball, but to be honest, I haven't really used this week to reflect on it so much given our schedule that we've had.”

The JackJumpers also boosted by the return of marquee big man Will Magnay, who has been battling a foot injury and has yet to play in the NBL24 regular season.

“It’s been a bit of a frustrating time, but I’m now feeling really confident in my body and I’m excited to get back out there,” Magnay said.

ADELAIDE 36ERS vs TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS
Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Saturday 7.30pm

LIKELY STARTERS
Adelaide: Mitch McCarron, DJ Vasiljevic, Trey Kell, Jacob Wiley, Isaac Humphries
Tasmania: Jordon Crawford, Anthony Drmic, Milton Doyle, Jack McVeigh, Marcus Lee

HEAD-TO-HEAD
Played 6, Adelaide 2, Tasmania 4

LAST FIVE MATCHES
January 12, 2023 – Tasmania 98 def Adelaide 82 at MyState Bank Arena
December 19, 2022 – Adelaide 93 def Tasmania 82 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre
November 13, 2022 – Tasmania 97 def Adelaide 72 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre
April 1, 2022 – Tasmania 80 def Adelaide 72 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre
January 28, 2022 – Tasmania 76 def Adelaide 71 at MyState Bank Arena

STATS THAT MATTER
Adelaide has won the third quarter in each of its six previous games against Tasmania.
The 36ers rank 1st in the league for opponent free throw attempts per game this season (19.7).
Adelaide ranks 10th in the league for opponent offensive rebounds per game this season (15.2).
Mitch McCarron has a career average of 4.8 assists per game against Tasmania.
DJ Vasiljevic has hit 3+ three-pointers in four consecutive appearances - longest active streak of any player.
Tasmania ranks 1st in the league for opponent three-point field goals made per game this season (8.0).
Jack McVeigh recorded a career-high six three-pointers in his last outing against Adelaide.