Ultimate captain's game not quite enough for Bullets

The Brisbane Bullets received the ultimate captain's performance from Mitch Norton and got back in front despite being down 19 points earlier before the Tasmania JackJumpers ended up winning 87-79.

The Bullets were back at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Saturday night on the back of winning the last two games and looking to make it three hosting the defending champion JackJumpers.

Tasmania arrived on a three-game losing streak but made a strong start to lead 13-1 early and 28-9 into the second quarter, but Brisbane battled back and had cut the deficit to 10 at half-time.

The Bullets kept that momentum going and were even leading by five points with seven minutes on the clock when captain Norton knocked down a three ball, but Tasmania again responded and ended up scoring the eight-point victory.

Brisbane did fight hard and ended up collecting 13 offensive rebounds for the game while doing well to score 14 points from Tasmania's turnovers, and 12 fast break point but in the end only ended up attempting 12 free-throws opposed to 27 from the JackJumpers.

Norton played like a man possessed all evening for the Bullets in his 348th NBL appearance to finish with 20 points, five assists and three steals on the back of shooting 8/13 from the field and 2/4 from downtown.

Casey Prather added 11 points and four rebounds with Josh Bannan contributing nine points and nine boards, Keandre Cook eight points and four rebounds, Tohi Smith-Milner eight points, and Jarred Bairstow seven points and five boards.

James Batemon also had seven points and three rebounds, Tyrell Harrison seven points, 10 boards, three blocks, two assists and two steals, and Isaac White two points and two rebounds.

Bullets coach Justin Schueller wasn’t too concerned over the start, but just lamented not being able to close the deal.

"We end up with 79 and 70 of those over three quarters, and the difference in the start with this one was that I felt we had reasonable looks," he said.

"We just weren’t putting it in the hole and we felt pretty comfortable where we were holding them to 20 in that first quarter with the opportunity to fight back.

"We showed that for the rest of the way, the frustrating part is going to be when we look back at it the missed executions at critical times."

The Bullets were looking for a third straight win and playing a first game since last Thursday's home win against the New Zealand Breakers, but it wasn’t the best start with Tasmania leading 13-1 after the first four minutes.

Brisbane did manage a 6-2 run in response but the JackJumpers were still leading 20-9 by quarter-time and then 28-9 early in the second after scoring the opening eight points.

The Bullets needed to respond and did so beginning with a Jarred Bairstow three ball and then a couple of baskets to captain Mitch Norton.

Brisbane were then able to go on a 9-0 scoring run of their own to be back within 10 points and when Tohi Smith-Milner made a second three-pointer, the Bullets kept it that way and the JackJumpers went into the break leading 42-32.

Norton, Smith-Milner and Bairstow combined for 21 of the 32 points in the first half for the Bullets, and it was a complete turnaround to the contest in the third quarter.

Brisbane quickly scored the first five points with a three to Casey Prather and then Keandre Cook landed a triple and suddenly it was just a two-point ball game.

Then later in the third frame, Norton hit a triple on the back of an offensive rebound and then the Bullets would score six straight points including Tyrell Harrison finding Bannan for a dunk in transition.

Bairstow put Brisbane in front and then it was Cook's three ball giving the home outfit the 62-59 edge head into the fourth before Norton hit another three ball early in the fourth to push the lead out to five.

Then in response to the next four points from Tasmania, James Batemon hit another from downtown for the Bullets to keep the lead at four, but the JackJumpers closed out the game outscoring Brisbane 18 points to six to end up scoring the road win.

The Bullets have another week before playing again when they take on the Cairns Taipans in Far North Queensland next Saturday night in the first Sunshine Stoush of NBL25.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2024/25

BRISBANE BULLETS 79 (Norton 20, Prather 11, Bannan 9)

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 87 (Crawford 16, Deng 16, Doyle 15)

BOX SCORE