Tasmania JackJumpers have thumped the New Zealand Breakers 83-59 in a NBL blowout behind another impeccable performance by guard Josh Magette before home fans.
The competition newcomers kept up the momentum from their win over Adelaide on Friday, racing to a 23-13 lead at the end of the first quarter, before adding 30 points in the second to take a commanding 26-point lead into halftime.
Although being outscored by six in the third, the damage was already done as the Breakers (2-8) simply couldn't find a way back into the contest late.
Shooting 50 per cent as a team from deep, the JackJumpers (4-6) were patient and clinical in their offence, finding mismatches in the pick-and-roll and exploiting slips in coverage on the perimeter.
Magette led the way, shooting 7-11 from three-point range and tallying 22 points, eight assists and five rebounds while Jack McVeigh added 17 points and five boards.
The hosts dominated the glass 49-33, leading to 26 points in the paint and 15 points from second-chance opportunities.
Coach Scott Roth said what impressed him most was the JackJumpers' aggression and intensity which they carried over from their last win.
"Our assistant coaches got them well, well prepared for this entire weekend, and so more it was just about the intent and the process of going through it," he said.
"It is a process and it's a long process - we're going to have a lot of bumps in the road, but we're going to cherish this weekend and the two games we've won."
With his team coming off a two-week COVID-19 break, New Zealand coach Dan Shamir made no excuses but inferred their slow start was due to a lack of recent game time.
"It's definitely a factor, we've seen more than one team struggling," Shamir said of COVID disruptions in the NBL.
"It's an unusual situation for everybody to be out - we had eight players actually sick, so they probably struggled with the process to get back.
"We're not the first team to struggle in the post-COVID break game, but I don't think about that at all. That's not my job to be thinking about.
"Today is obviously a day that it's very, very far from how we want to look."
