The Brisbane Bullets were 22 seconds away from completing a remarkable comeback at Boondall, having erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to snatch the lead against Tasmania. But a moment of brilliance from JackJumpers guard Taran Armstrong forced overtime, where the visitors pulled away for a 109–99 victory at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Saturday, 3 October.
Brisbane had already surrendered a 14-point lead of their own earlier in the contest, and appeared headed for defeat when Tasmania led 89–80 late in the final quarter. What followed was a desperate 11–0 scoring run, capped by Tyrell Harrison’s close-range basket with 26.5 seconds remaining, that brought the home crowd to its feet.
Harrison’s score put Brisbane ahead 91–89, completing a comeback that had looked increasingly unlikely only minutes earlier. Tasmania had missed ten consecutive field-goal attempts as the Bullets clawed their way back, and the visitors needed something special to escape.
Armstrong supplied it.
Driving the play with 22 seconds remaining, he delivered a behind-the-back pass to Josh Bannan beneath the basket for the tying score. Brisbane had one final opportunity, but Max Mackinnon’s three-point attempt at the buzzer missed, sending the teams into overtime locked at 91–91.
A fourteen-point lead slips away
The Bullets had started the evening looking capable of maintaining their unbeaten home record, taking control early through Harrison’s work inside and a productive offensive performance from Mackinnon and Nate Hinton.
Brisbane led 23–17 after the opening quarter and stretched the advantage to 14 points during the second. Even after Tasmania began to respond, the Bullets went into half-time ahead 47–40, with their attack having found a productive balance between scoring in the paint and shooting from distance.
That balance deserted them after the main break.
Tasmania unleashed a 13–0 run in the third quarter, with Armstrong directing the offence and former Brisbane players Will Magnay and Bannan increasingly influential. The JackJumpers scored 34 points to Brisbane’s 18 in the period, completely reversing the contest to lead 74–65 with ten minutes remaining.
The change was substantial. Brisbane had gone from controlling the game to chasing it, and Tasmania’s physicality around the basket was making every possession more difficult.
Harrison leads the resistance
Harrison refused to let the contest drift away. The Brisbane centre finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards, while Hinton and Mackinnon contributed 21 points apiece.
Mackinnon’s outside shooting was particularly valuable, with five three-pointers from eight attempts keeping Brisbane in touch. Hinton added three steals and repeatedly found ways to attack Tasmania’s defence.
Arnas Velička had a more difficult night scoring, missing all 11 of his field-goal attempts during regulation. Yet the Lithuanian guard remained heavily involved in Brisbane’s offence, eventually finishing with 13 assists, five rebounds and six points.
Those contributions helped the Bullets mount their extraordinary late recovery, particularly when Tasmania’s shooting dried up. Harrison was central to the final push, converting an inside opportunity after Brisbane had gathered three offensive rebounds on the same possession, then putting the Bullets ahead during their 11-point unanswered run.
For all the excitement of that comeback, however, Brisbane could not find the defensive stop that would have preserved their advantage.
Armstrong has the final word
Velička briefly gave Brisbane renewed hope when he scored the opening basket of overtime, his first field goal of the evening after 11 misses in regulation.
The JackJumpers soon regained their composure. Armstrong continued to attack, Magnay and Bannan provided the inside presence, and Tasmania converted seven of nine field-goal attempts during the extra period.
With 44 seconds remaining, Armstrong completed a driving basket through contact and added the free throw, stretching Tasmania’s advantage to five points. Brisbane had little left to offer after spending so much energy fighting their way back into the contest, and the JackJumpers scored the final ten points of overtime to turn a tense struggle into a double-digit victory.
Armstrong finished with a game-high 29 points and four assists, while Magnay and Bannan scored 22 apiece. Bannan also collected 11 rebounds, with Magnay adding nine rebounds, six assists and four blocks. Dakota Mathias contributed 19 points.
For Brisbane, the defeat was especially difficult given the opportunities they had created at both ends of the game. Their early 14-point advantage had disappeared in a damaging third quarter, yet they still found enough determination to recover from 11 points down and take the lead in the final minute.
The Bullets were left with a 2–2 record after four matches, having followed two opening victories with consecutive defeats. Their next assignment was a trip north to face Cairns on Thursday, 8 October, with coach Will Weaver facing the challenge of turning encouraging passages of basketball into a complete four-quarter performance.
Brisbane had led by 14, trailed by 11 and fought back to within seconds of victory. After 45 minutes of basketball, all they had to show for it was a ten-point defeat.
Game Details
Competition: 2026–27 NBL Season, Round 3
Date: Saturday, 3 October 2026
Venue: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall
Final Score: Tasmania JackJumpers 109 defeated Brisbane Bullets 99 (overtime)
Quarter-by-quarter scores:
First Quarter: Brisbane 23–17 Tasmania
Half-time: Brisbane 47–40 Tasmania
Three-quarter time: Tasmania 74–65 Brisbane
End of Regulation: Brisbane 91–91 Tasmania
Overtime: Tasmania outscored Brisbane 18–8
Leading Scorers:
Brisbane Bullets: Tyrell Harrison — 24 points, 12 rebounds; Nate Hinton — 21 points; Max Mackinnon — 21 points
Tasmania JackJumpers: Taran Armstrong — 29 points; Will Magnay — 22 points; Josh Bannan — 22 points
Brisbane’s Season Record: 2 wins, 2 losses
Next Match: Cairns Taipans v Brisbane Bullets — Thursday, 8 October 2026, Cairns Convention Centre.
Published 3-Oct-2026
