Tasmania are back on top of the NBL ladder, but their 79–77 escape against New Zealand was a reminder that a depleted side can win the night without solving every problem. The JackJumpers survived Sam Mennenga’s last attempt at the Silverdome on Friday, 6 November, and improved to 8–3. For the Breakers, a fifth consecutive defeat left them at 4–8 despite a towering performance from their big man.
The contrast was stark. The NBL’s match report credited Mennenga with 29 points, 17 rebounds, two assists and two blocks on 13-of-19 shooting. He had 20 points by half-time, when New Zealand erased an 11-point deficit with an 11–0 closing run to reach 43–43. Yet Tasmania reopened the gap with the first seven points of the third quarter and kept just enough breathing room to withstand the final surge.
Dakota Mathias led the winners with 18 points and four three-pointers. Will Magnay supplied 16 points and three blocks, while Josh Bannan delivered a particularly valuable all-round line: 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. That distribution matters for a team managing significant absences. Rather than relying on one enormous scoring night, Tasmania found contributions from its guard shooting, interior finishing and frontcourt passing.
The Breakers' personnel situation changed during the game. The match report says Charles Bediako left after a heavy early fall, while Parker Jackson-Cartwright did not return after half-time. Carlin Davison took on more playmaking responsibility and finished with nine assists. Neither player's availability for the next fixture should be assumed from Friday's game alone; any subsequent medical or selection update will matter enormously to New Zealand's rotation.
Tasmania had already entered the match with a stretched roster. The league's pre-game team information listed Majok Deng, Ben Gold, Bryce Hamilton and David Johnson as unavailable, with different projected return windows. The result is an impressive piece of short-handed execution, but it does not erase the workload question. Magnay and Bannan remain particularly important while the frontcourt options are limited.
For Buckets fantasy managers, the useful takeaway is role rather than a made-up points projection. Bannan's passing and rebounding, Mathias's perimeter volume and Davison's temporary ball-handling duties deserve attention alongside the official injury news. A single game cannot establish that Davison will retain the same responsibilities once Jackson-Cartwright's status is clarified. Likewise, Mennenga's production is impressive even in defeat, but New Zealand's losing run makes the next rotation update worth watching closely. The NBL SuperCoach guide remains a useful starting point for fixture and selection planning.
The next assignment comes in Round 9: Tasmania visit Perth on Thursday, 12 November, and New Zealand host Brisbane on Friday, 13 November, according to the NBL report. Tasmania will carry the ladder lead into that break; the Breakers have a week to turn a brave comeback into something more substantial than another near miss.
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