'Tired' Magnay wills Jacks past depleted United

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"I’m tired," was Australian Boomers and Tasmania JackJumpers centre Will Magnay's response after playing more than 36 minutes, dropping 27 points, grabbing 13 boards and blocking three shots in an outstanding home win against Melbourne United in Round 15 of NBL 26 in Hobart on January 3, 2026.

The JackJumpers had played six games in 14 days are sixth at 11-13 and now have the better part of a week off to prepare for the Adelaide 36ers.

"No, I feel good. When you get into the mid-30s it starts to get tiring," Magnay conceded.

"(Jesse) Edwards is a monster, Fab’s (Fabijan Krslovic) out there wrestling, so it’s a tough matchup. It’s a tiring game.

"We’ve played a lot of games in a short amount of time. Everyone was telling me to be aggressive and keep attacking the paint.

"When we played them in Melbourne, we did a good job as a team doing that, so I was trying to replicate it. Tonight it was me taking more shots. Next time it might be Bannon, or Majok the night after.

"Whoever’s turn it is to step up and be in the right spot, that’s who we go to. It’s definitely good to get a win at home."

Magnay was dominant, controlled the paint and protected the rim.

"We finally get some rest," head coach Scott Roth said.

"It’s six games in 14 days for us, and our effort has been really good over the last month. We haven’t got a few across the line, but to win two in a row at home is a really good sign for us.

"The guys are looking forward to a few days off — well deserved — and we’ll just continue to build on what we’ve been doing and then go back to work.

"Mags was a monster on both sides of the ball. He was really impactful for us all night, and then he throws a three in there, which was a bit of 'no, no, no' but a great shot.

"It was a great effort by him, and the team did a nice job across the board. I feel for Dean (Vickerman) when you don’t have a full roster and you’re missing two energy guys. The league is tough, you have to go through some of that, and they’ve been dealing with it.

"I’m just happy to come out on the other side."

Roth said Magnay was the key to Tasmania making a deep run into the playoffs — or holding off New Zealand and Illawarra.

"I’m shocked he only had three blocks — it felt like seven or eight," Roth added.

"He altered a lot of shots around the rim. Most of his impact usually comes defensively, and that’s what he’s built his game on.

"But we’ve been pushing him for the last month to be more aggressive offensively. He’s been doing the extra work, his stamina is improving, and those are really good signs for us."

United were without Shae Ili and Finn Delany.

Key Details

• Result: Tasmania JackJumpers 84 def. Melbourne United 75
• When: Friday, 3rd January 2026
• Where: MyState Bank Arena, Tasmania
• Attendance: 4,340
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Will Magnay (Tasmania JackJumpers) dominated with 27 points, 13 rebounds, two steals, and three blocks in 36 minutes.
• Tyson Walker (Melbourne United) scored 20 points, and had three rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 33 minutes.

What Happened

The JackJumpers established early control, leading by three points after the opening quarter 19-16. Tasmania extended their advantage in the second period, outscoring United 25-19 to take a 44-35 halftime lead. The home side maintained their momentum throughout the third quarter, matching United's 19-point output to preserve their nine-point buffer heading into the final period.

Tasmania's dominance continued in the fourth quarter as they outscored Melbourne United 21-25, but it proved sufficient to secure the nine-point victory. The JackJumpers controlled the game for over 34 minutes, weathering eight lead changes to emerge victorious.

Will Magnay was the driving force behind Tasmania's success, delivering an outstanding performance in the paint. The centre shot an efficient 12-from-18 from the field, including one triple, and was perfect from the charity stripe going 2-from-3. His dominance on the boards with 13 rebounds, including six offensive boards, gave the JackJumpers crucial second-chance opportunities.

Josh Bannan provided valuable support with 14 points on solid 5-from-11 shooting, while Bryce Hamilton and Nick Marshall each contributed 10 points. Tyger Campbell orchestrated the offense masterfully, dishing out eight assists to complement his eight points, despite struggling with his shot at 2-from-9 from the field.

For Melbourne United, Tyson Walker was exceptional with 20 points on outstanding 7-from-10 shooting, including perfect 2-from-2 from downtown. Milton Doyle added 17 points but struggled with efficiency, shooting 6-from-15 from the field. The visitors were let down by poor three-point shooting at 34.78% compared to Tasmania's solid 40% from beyond the arc.

Tasmania's superior rebounding was crucial, out-rebounding United 45-34, with their 15 offensive rebounds creating additional scoring opportunities. The JackJumpers also shot more efficiently from the field at 45.59% compared to Melbourne United's 43.28%, proving decisive in the nine-point victory.