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AAP
Shayne Hope

Bullets ride luck on sweet NBL Sunday against Tasmania

Nathan Sobey scored a game-high 28 points in Brisbane's NBL win over the JackJumpers. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)

Nathan Sobey has peeled off a game-high 28 points as Brisbane survived a late Tasmania fightback to continue their NBL resurgence with a tense 90-87 win.

Despite missing star big Aron Baynes (suspended) and import guard Shannon Scott (hamstring), the Bullets soared to a second straight victory on Sunday and snapped a quirky streak in the process.

It was their first win after seven straight losses in Sunday fixtures, in a run that dates back to last season.

Far more importantly, the result levelled Brisbane's current season record at 4-4 after five rounds.

But it didn't come easily as fourth-quarter specialists Tasmania trimmed a seven-point deficit back to a single point when Majok Deng drove to the rack with 34 seconds remaining.

The sides traded blows in the dying stages and the JackJumpers almost sent the game to overtime when they pinched Sam McDaniel's inbound pass on the final play.

Jack McVeigh got a hand in to force the turnover and Tasmania found Jordon Crawford, but his decent look at an attempted game-leveller rimmed out - to the delight of the Nissan Arena crowd.

Brisbane captain Sobey led from the front with Tyrrell Harrison and Josh Bannan (10 points each) also important for the Bullets, while Chris Smith (11) and Isaac White (10) contributed off the bench.

Brisbane had suffered four straight defeats before beating Perth (away) and Tasmania in round five, and will have Baynes back for Thursday's meeting with South East Melbourne.

"It was a big weekend for us," Bullets coach Justin Schueller said.

"In these last two games, we're really starting to understand how consistent we actually can be with our play.

"That's a hell of a ball club at the other end and with the challenges that we kept facing, for the result to be there and (for us to) continue to find our habits and our way was really pleasing."

Tasmania's gut-wrenching loss ended a horror round five for Scott Roth's team, who lost at home to Melbourne United before going down to the Bullets.

It left them with a 4-4 record after a strong 4-2 start to the season.

McVeigh (18 points), Deng (17) and Crawford (16, three) gave solid offensive contributions for the JackJumpers, who lost Marcus Lee for the crucial final few minutes after the starting centre fouled out.

A disappointed Roth said he wasn't satisfied with any of his players' performances and gave a simple assessment of the team's overall display.

"Our defence is not good enough," he said.

"It's not at a championship level, it's not at a top-four level.

"As I've told these guys from day one, if it doesn't get up in those categories of being better and defending the three-point line and keeping guys off the foul line, you're just in for a long season.

"It's just a reality of the league and it's too hard to win games, especially on the road, unless your defence can travel with you everywhere you go."

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