Lash: 'He knows I sleep better when he’s on the floor'

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Brisbane head coach Stu Lash can finally get some sleep now veteran leader Mitch Norton is back and the Bullets escaped Tasmania with a 83-81 win against the JackJumpers in Round 8 of NBL26 on Saturday, November 8, 2025.

"He (Norton) knows I sleep better when he’s on the floor and around the team," Lash said.

"And I haven’t been sleeping very well. He has two dive-on-the-floor loose balls and a charge. So those are, those are winning basketball plays that we’ve been missing and this guy’s a champion, he’s a captain, you know, he’s a man’s man, and we’re very happy that he’s back."

Norton, 32, missed multiple games for the 5-7 Bullets after sustaining a tibial plateau contusion following a knee hyperextension at the start of the season.

He played 20 minutes against the JackJumpers, scored four points, pulled down four boards, dished five assists and had a steal but, most importantly, was +6.

"Adrenaline’s still pumping right now," Norton said.

"I’m feeling pretty good. We’ve kind of joked all week at home when I’m playing basketball, I’m a lot happier around the house. It’s like when you’re hungry or you haven’t slept much, you get a little bit antsy. So I can’t thank my partner Sasha enough for putting up with me for these seven weeks."

Tasmania was down nine (69-60) at the start of the fourth quarter but grafted its way back into the ball game. Bullets star Casey Prather, who finished with 28, put the Bullets up 81-79 with 2:49 left, JackJumpers guard Tyger Campbell tied it up again on a layup with 2:29 to go. Prather again made a clutch lay-up with a minute to go make it 83-81 but Tasmania's Nick Marshall had a crucial turnover with 37 seconds. The JackJumpers got a big stop against Jaylen Adams with 14 seconds left but couldn't get a decent look at the end of the game as Marshall was forced to take an off-balanced contested shot at the buzzer.

"This team can be well and truly a playoff team," Norton said.

"I don’t think we’ve ever shied away from that. Obviously we’ve got bigger goals and aspirations, but you can’t get to them unless you make the playoffs.

"And I think the way we approach that on a daily process is, is something that we still need to be better at, just falling in love with the grind.

"To win here you need to grind out a win.  I thought in previous games when it’s got tough, we probably didn’t really embrace that grind. But tonight we really showed that. I thought our bench behaviour was exceptional. Some guys didn’t touch the floor but they impacted winning in a great way — Cal (Dalton), Jack (Purchase), Jensen (Bradtke) — up and about, getting behind guys and I think that’s really important. And that’s come a long way in the last couple of weeks."

JackJumpers head coach Scott Roth lamented he couldn't slow down Prather or Bullets centre Tyrell Harrison, who poured in 21 points on 10-from-14 from field.

"Well, those two guys they had 49 between them of the 83, we just couldn’t handle them," Roth said.

"Too many lapses. Play good, lapse for three or four minutes, play okay. I told the group — and I probably made the statement probably three months ago — that there’s gonna be, at least for, for us, a lot of games in the last three minutes that are gonna come down to execution, hitting a shot, doing the right thing across the board, rebounding, et cetera.

"And we’ve been in, obviously, a multitude of these games already, and we’re not even halfway through the season.

"So, we have to tidy those things up at the end of the game. Our margin of error is zero and it’s just one of those things.

"They’re frustrated — and you should be frustrated — but at the end of the day we’re hanging around and, and doing some things that are well enough to win some games. And, um, we just have to see if we can stack some more days and work on our craft and get better individually, and, and see how that carries over, over the next couple weeks."

The JackJumpers are in 6th, equal with the Bullets, at 5-7 but ahead on points differential: -23 to -49.

Key Details

• Result: Brisbane Bullets 83 def. Tasmania JackJumpers 81
• When: 8th November 2025
• Where: MyState Bank Arena, Tasmania
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Casey Prather (Brisbane Bullets) starred with 28 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 32 minutes.
• Josh Bannan (Tasmania JackJumpers) scored 18 points, had 11 rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 29 minutes.

What Happened

The JackJumpers started strong, taking a 23-19 lead in the first quarter. However, Brisbane responded in the second period, outscoring Tasmania 27-20 to take a 46-43 advantage into halftime.

The Bullets extended their lead in the third quarter, outscoring the home team 23-17. Casey Prather was exceptional during this stretch, helping Brisbane build their biggest lead of 14 points with an 11-point scoring run.

Tasmania mounted a near game-winning comeback in the final frame, winning the fourth quarter 21-14 as they tightened their defence. Despite outscoring Brisbane by seven points in the final period, the JackJumpers couldn't overcome the deficit.

Tyrell Harrison provided tremendous support for Brisbane with an outstanding 21 points on 10-from-14 shooting (71.4%) and nine rebounds. His efficient scoring in the paint complemented Prather's perimeter play.

For Tasmania, Nick Marshall matched Bannan with 18 points and added nine rebounds, while Bryce Hamilton contributed 16 points including three triples. Tyger Campbell dished out a game-high eight assists despite struggling from the field, shooting just 3-from-12.

The JackJumpers won the battle on the boards with 45 rebounds to Brisbane's 42, including 15 offensive boards that led to second-chance opportunities. However, Brisbane's superior shooting efficiency (44.4% compared to Tasmania's 39.5%) proved decisive.

The Bullets spent more time in the lead (22:29 minutes compared to Tasmania's 13:56), but the eight lead changes throughout the game highlighted the back-and-forth nature of this thrilling encounter. While Tasmania had more assists (20-18), both teams displayed disciplined basketball with similar turnover numbers.