Phoenix turns over Bullets 23 times in 27pt blowout

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Only the Cairns Taipans (-220) have a worse points differential than the Brisbane Bullets (-111) and after giving the ball up 24 times against South East Melbourne Phoenix were on the wrong side of another blow-out, this time 103-76 in Round 10 of NBL26 in Brisbane on November 20, 2025.

"It's very disappointing," first-year Bullets head coach Lash said.

We had a couple of really good days of practice, came off a strong showing against United, and felt confident coming into this game.

"We identified some key areas we needed to be solid in, and we just didn’t execute.

"Obviously, the main one was dealing with their ball pressure and taking care of the ball. Twenty-three turnovers — eight in the first quarter. They ended up taking 24 more shots. That’s the game."

Lash revealed the Bullets had worked on dealing with the Phoenix guard pressure during the build-up.

"It’s a challenge," he added.

"We want our practices to be competitive, physical, and intense so it translates to the game. That’s been tough to do with the combination of the schedule and the available bodies. We haven’t practiced at the level I’d want to prepare for this physicality. This performance tonight is not where we need to be. We have to be better.

"It’s the possession game. The turnovers and the number of possessions they had.

We did have 19 assists on our 25 field goals, so when we actually got into our offense, found our shape, and didn’t let them speed us up, we got what we wanted. But we gave up 14 offensive rebounds—10 in the first half. The top two things on the board were keeping them off the glass and protecting the ball.

"We thought if we did those two things we’d put ourselves in a position to win. Right off the bat we were on our heels."

The Bullets are 5-10 while the Phoenix are 9-3 with a game in hand on the 36ers at 10-3.

Phoenix skipper Jordan Hunter was outstanding. He finished with 24 points (9-from-13), nine rebounds, two assists and was +10 in 23 minutes. He knocked down four of his five three point attempts.

Phoenix head coach Josh King said pressure up the floor was part of the fabric of his third-placed team 10 rounds into the season.

"Again, that’s our style — that’s what we have to do," King said.

"You’re not going to force 23 turnovers every game. We have to play well in the half court. We had some lapses there, but I thought our pressure was really consistent tonight from everybody who was in the game.

"We did our job, and that’s not always easy to do. But I’m really proud of the collective effort."

Hunter was pleased about hitting 80% of his threes.

"It’s awesome," he said.

"Just helping the team by balancing the floor. JB’s a great interior presence, so if I can stretch it out, that helps.

"And guys are pretty thirsty to help me keep rolling when that happens. I’m grateful to the coaches — they believe in me and help me work on this.

"It’s going in at the moment, so we’ll try to make hay while the sun shines.

Key Details

• Result: South East Melbourne Phoenix 103 def. Brisbane Bullets 76
• When: Wednesday, 20th November 2025
• Where: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
• Attendance: 3,429
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Jordan Hunter (South East Melbourne Phoenix) starred with 24 points, nine rebounds, two assists and four steals in 23 minutes.
• Tyrell Harrison (Brisbane Bullets) scored 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks in 27 minutes.

What Happened

The Phoenix established early control and never relinquished their grip on proceedings, leading from the opening quarter and extending their advantage throughout the contest. South East Melbourne opened with a dominant 27-19 first quarter before maintaining their momentum with a 29-21 second period to take a 56-40 halftime advantage. The visitors continued to pour on the pressure in the third, outscoring Brisbane 18-21, before closing out the victory with a commanding 29-15 final quarter.

Jordan Hunter proved unstoppable for the Phoenix, delivering an outstanding shooting performance that included exceptional accuracy from downtown. The centre connected on nine-from-13 from the field and an impressive four-from-five from beyond the arc, showcasing his range and efficiency. His 24-point haul was perfectly complemented by solid contributions across the roster, with five Phoenix players reaching double figures in a complete team effort.

The Phoenix's superiority from three-point range proved decisive, as they connected on 15 triples compared to Brisbane's dismal four makes from 18 attempts. South East Melbourne shot a solid 42% from beyond the arc while the Bullets managed just 22% from deep, highlighting the gulf in perimeter shooting between the two sides. Nathan Sobey and Wes Iwundu each contributed four three-pointers apiece for the visitors.

For Brisbane, Tyrell Harrison provided the lone bright spot with an efficient 16-point, eight-rebound performance on seven-from-10 shooting. However, the Bullets struggled to find consistent offensive rhythm, with only four players reaching double figures. Mitch Norton added 12 points but needed eight free throws to reach that mark, while Dakota Mathias also contributed 12 points despite shooting just 20% from three-point range.

The Phoenix's balanced offensive attack and defensive intensity proved too much for the home side to handle. South East Melbourne recorded 11 steals to Brisbane's five while dominating the turnover battle, forcing the Bullets into 23 turnovers compared to their own seven. This defensive pressure translated into easy scoring opportunities, with the Phoenix converting their superior ball movement into 22 assists compared to Brisbane's 19.