Preview: NBL25 R9 Away v Tasmania JackJumpers

The Brisbane Bullets will have two games in a round this weekend for the first time in NBL25 and it gets underway on Friday night on the road to the defending champion Tasmania JackJumpers.

The Bullets have played eight matches this NBL season over the opening eight rounds for three wins and five losses as they now have back-to-back games starting Friday at MyState Bank Arena in Hobart against the JackJumpers.

Brisbane will then be right back home to host the Perth Wildcats on Sunday at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, but all the focus right now is trying to get that first up win on Friday against the JackJumpers.

The Bullets will not have played since a loss at home to Melbourne United last Thursday night as they take on a JackJumpers team fresh off their best win of the season against the previously league-leading New Zealand Breakers by 19 points on Saturday.

That has the Bullets coming into the match up with a 3-5 record while the JackJumpers are 4-8 with both teams looking for an important win to build some momentum heading into next week's FIBA break.

What the two games this weekend present for the Bullets is a chance to go into the FIBA window with a 5-5 record. That is what coach Justin Schueller is aiming for, but he knows it won't come easily.

"I'm never content but where I see potential in this group is being able to do whatever we want in this season provided we get that consistency going," Schueller said.

"For us to sit here with the opportunity to go .500 by the FIBA window is a good position for us to be in, but with that said it's going to be a challenging battle this weekend against two great oppositions.

"But if we can do it then we feel really good about how we will be going heading into the FIBA window."

Friday night's game will be the second time that the Bullets have played the JackJumpers in NBL25 as well with Schueller hoping to turn the tide.

After losing to the Breakers in Round 1 in Perth, the Bullets responded to beat New Zealand by 11 points almost a month later at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

Schueller will be hoping for a similar turnaround after the eight-point loss at home to Tasmania back on October 26.

"This will be the second time that we've played someone a second time in the season with the first one being New Zealand and we were able to learn a lot from those two," Schueller said.

"That's what we want to do with this Tassie game and we need games coming thick and fast. We feel right now that the fastest learning will come in battle and we need those challenges more consistently right now.

"With this weekend opportunities there's the chance to get back to .500 and that's all we're focusing on at this point."

While the Bullets will be without hot shooting forward Tohi Smith-Milner who will remain in Brisbane awaiting the arrival of his first child, Deng Adel is on track to play his first game since October 5 following a groin injury.

"Deng Adel should be back in and he's getting through this practice really well this week so that's an exciting one for us with the athleticism he adds and another key defender we can throw in there," Schueller said.

"Then if Tohi misses the game because of the birth of his first child then we'll enjoy that and be happy for him. We're a family first club and we're excited for him and his partner, and the journey they'll go on with that one."

GAME INFO

Who: Brisbane Bullets vs Tasmania JackJumpers

Tip off: 6:30pm (AEST), Friday 15 November, 2024

Where: MyState Bank Arena

Watch: ESPN via Foxtel and Kayo