Preview: NBL26 R3 Home v Tasmania JackJumpers

The Brisbane Bullets return to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre for the first time this NBL season taking on the Tasmania JackJumpers on Saturday with kids to receive free entry as part of Hungry Jack's Rookie Round.

The Bullets have opened the new season with three games away from home all against teams playing their first matches in front of their home fans, and now they get to do that themselves this Saturday night against the JackJumpers.

There has been great excitement surrounding the Bullets coming into the new season and now the chance will be there to reward the home fans that show up for the clash with Tasmania with a performance to build momentum for the rest of NBL26.

The game is also part of Hungry Jack’s Rookie Round. We’re shining the spotlight on grassroots basketball, inviting local clubs and associations to be part of the action.

In celebration of our smallest but loudest fans, up to four junior tickets for anyone aged 4-17 can be added to any adult ticket purchased.

Brisbane opened the new season beating the New Zealand Breakers in Auckland before a heart stopping one-point loss last Friday night in Cairns to the Taipans and then another strong showing in Adelaide to the 36ers on Sunday.

Injuries racked up along the way to key trio Sam McDaniel (ankle), Mitch Norton (knee) and Javon Freeman-Liberty hasn’t helped and McDaniel and Norton will still be out for significant periods although Freeman-Liberty is on track to return to face the JackJumpers.

Freeman-Liberty will be a significant inclusion having produced 19.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists over his first two games while Casey Prather is delivering 21.7 points, 3.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds, and Tyrell Harrison a career-best 21.0 points and 11.3 rebounds.

Alex Ducas is also settling in nicely to his NBL career coming off 16 points against Adelaide while former league MVP Jaylen Adams is providing 13.3 points and 5.3 assists.

The Bullets take on a JackJumpers team who have started the new season well after a first up close loss at home to Melbourne United before winning on the road to the Perth Wildcats and Illawarra Hawks – two of last season's top four teams.

Bryce Hamilton has made an ominous start to his career with Tasmania with 23.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists so Brisbane will need to put a lot of time into him along Tyger Campbell in the back court and former Bullets pair Will Magnay and Josh Bannan in the back court.

Bullets coach Stu Lash is looking forward to coaching his first game at home and has no doubt everyone on the team is looking forward to a week in Brisbane in the lead up.

"You always want to play in front of your fans and independent of just the travel, it's just the energy you get from being home and we have a lot of guys with kids and young families that they haven’t been around a lot over the last two weeks," Lash said.

"Our fans are great and I know they are chomping at the bit to get into Brisbane Entertainment Centre and fill that house to give that necessary energy we need.

"Definitely everybody is looking forward to having a week of practice at home and not having to get on a flight leading into Saturday's game."

GAME INFO

Who: Brisbane Bullets vs Tasmania JackJumpers

Tip off: 8:00pm (AEST), Saturday 4 October, 2024

Where: Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Tickets: Available Here

Watch: ESPN via Foxtel, Disney+, Kayo and Fetch