JackJumpers, United happy to see the back of each other

[Pelican Press 0]

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JackJumpers, ******* happy to see the back of each other

After a classic championship series battle to close last season and now two titanic games already to launch the new campaign, the Tasmania JackJumpers and Melbourne ******* are happy to see the end of each other for a while.

The tempers and frustrations threatened to spill over at Hobart’s MyState Bank Arena on Saturday with Tasmania ending up beating Melbourne 81-72 on the same evening they unfurled their championship banner.

It was already their second meeting of NBL25 after Melbourne had won by nine points last Thursday in Perth and Tasmania prevailed by the same margin two nights later in a physical, intense and heated match.

The last seven games the JackJumpers have played in the NBL have now been against *******, with championship coach Scott Roth admitting is glad he won’t be seeing them again now until two days before Christmas.

Melbourne next play in Perth against the Wildcats on Friday and earlier that evening Tasmania will be at the Cairns Taipans.

“I am going to really enjoy seeing someone else on the other side,” said Roth.

“To play them seven straight times and move off to not see them for a while will be a big relief for both of us.

“We can both move on, and do what need to do to get ready for next week.”

Tasmania centre Will Magnay helped book his ticket to the Paris Olympics with how well he played in that championship series and he starred again on Saturday with 18 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks and three steals.

He thrived on the match up with former teammate Marcus Lee too, but even he is happy to see the back of Melbourne for a while.

“I think it’s my last seven NBL games now have been against Melbourne so I’m a bit ***** of them, but it’s fun playing against Lee.

“He was a massive factor for us last year and he’s a great person and human being, but it’s fun competing and I got to block him and I rubbed it in his face that time. We’ll laugh about that later.”

Roth was also uncomfortable with the JackJumpers celebrating last season’s championship pre-game in front of the team they beat, and would have preferred to have played a different team first up at home.

“There’s eight other teams we could have played on this night and we were trying to do it respectfully for them in a way that was tasteful,” Roth said.

“It was a little awkward for me, I don’t know if that’s usually the case over here and if it happens a lot, but where I’m from you would never open up your banner dropping against the team you just played.”

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#JackJumpers #******* #happy

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