The second week of the sensational 2023/24 NBL season ushered in the second round with a bang! As expected, rivalries are heating up and renewed every weekend with no shortage of talking points and NBL news to look forward to!

So far so good, the second round got underway this weekend and Sydney Kings put their best foot forward to produce an electric performance as they look forward to extending their NBL Championship reign. They stunned the Adelaide 36ers with a comfortable 109-100 victory in front of overly captivated record-breaking 14,029 fans. 

This historic fan turnout marked a memorable NBL 2023/24  round 2, setting the stage for an epic championship defense. 

However, to their surprise, their fixture with Tasmania JackJumpers at the packed MyState Bank Arena on Friday night bruised their egos as Milton Doyle put in a spirited performance to afford his team the first win of the round. Here is how it went down. 

Milton Doyle Vs Sydney Kings

Milton Doyle in action for Tasmania JackJumpers

Milton Doyle’s rise to a key player in the Tasmania regular rooster couldn’t have come at a better time. Scott Roth is a coach on a mission to defend the NBL Championship and Milton Doyle, the star summer import is surprisingly stepping up to this hilly task. 

His poise and surge on either side of the clash’s halftime helped Tasmania cruise past Sydney Kings with an 80-72 victory on a charged Friday night in front of home fans.

The Mystate Bank Arena, the Tasmania JackJumpers’  home turf was full to the brim with a sold-out record and Doyle rose to the occasion with 11 of his monumental consecutive 14 points on either side of the half-time. 

The King’s Next Star Alex Toohey also produced superb athleticism with 14 first-half points. The returning 2021/22 MVP Jaylen Adamas equally recorded 14 points in the third quarter, but it was Doyle’s resilience that stood out coming out as a lethal weapon for the home side. 

Eventually, Tasmania won in their trademark fashion with 20 offensive rebounds resulting in 9 extra shots and 4 more free throws. 

Doyle wrapped up the victorious night with 21 points and 3 assists. He scored the last 8 points of the first half helping his team hit six threes in the second quarter culminating into a 48-40 win for the home side.

Tasmania’s Milton Doyle Stars Again With a Win Over Melbourne United 

While there were other surprising match outcomes and incredibly charged fans in the stands, Tasmania’s win over Melbourne United on Sunday is a game that etched itself indelibly into the hearts and minds of Tasmania’s loyal fans. 

The star import again, Milton Doyle ignited the court in a late-game explosion, propelling his team to a remarkable 80-75 victory that will resonate in Tasmania’s basketball lore for years to come.

The outcome, however, did not come as a surprise to the team’s management and technical bench as they have been preparing their team to weather off competitive fixtures lined up in the early stages of the 2023/24 NBL season. 

In fact Tasmania have recruited top-cream basketball talent from Australia and the rest of the world to compliment the usual returning rooster members in a bid to build on their two previous hugely successful seasons. 

If you’ve been following their recent seasons’ performances and occasional rise to the top, you will recognize they were missing some sort of a playmaker to thrust them into a formidable rooster with regular nerveless wins. 

Nevertheless, their scouts seem to have got their homework right. Milton Doyle, the American guard has been considered one of the smoothest operators in the game and he could be on his way up to the best closer in the league. 

Rumor mills, pundits, and NBL insiders have all hyped his performances from the onset but it is his performance on Sunday’s epic win over the 2023/24 NBL favorites, Melbourne United that will undoubtedly prove doubting Thomases wrong. 

Melbourne, with their typical gusto, were effortlessly coasting with a 13-point gap win in the early stages at the iconic John Cain Arena before JackJumpers got their footing right into the contest. 

However, Milton Doyle’s star shone brightly as he produced a dazzling performance, draining 14 points in the fourth quarter, including the memorable go-ahead triple within 20 seconds of the final whistle. 

The result came as good news to Tasmania who now have a 2-1 record in the second round. On the flip side, this loss added to Dean Vickerman’s team, their first defeat of the season. 

Doyle’s performance had an instrumental contribution to the final score as he finished the game with a high of 25 points and 8 rebounds. His other teammates were equally monumental; Jordan Crawford showcased an impressive performance with 18 points, including the memorable 10 within the first quarter of the game. 

Jack McVeigh scored 13 points and managed 5 rebounds adding to the team’s overall colorful results.

Credits also go to United’s team; they staged a spirited fight but couldn’t match Tasmania’s energy, zeal, and tactical moves. 

Shea Ili had great moments in the fixture, but unfortunately, he couldn’t hit the mark at the opportune time to tie the clash. Ariel Hukporti, Chris Goulding, and Ian Clark led the United’s attack with 15, 12 and 11 points, respectively. Goulding’s pair of triples in the early stages of the game left fans and coach hoping the tides would turn in the favor, but as the final score indicated, it was Tasmania’s tactical moves courtesy of Milton Doyle that inspired the visitors to the vital win of the second round. 

Scott Roth’s Comments On The New Tasmania Talent, Milton Doyle 

Tasmania head coach reacts in a past match

The Tasmania JackJumpers’ head coach Scott Roth was full of praise for their new import and the rest of the team after two wins in the second round. He says; 

“To get a road win is very, very difficult in this league and we just had a really good, strong weekend,” 

“We’re humbled by it and we’re lucky to get out of there but we made enough plays down the stretch and our defense was sound enough to allow us to have a chance.”

Commenting on Doyle’s performance, Scott seemed surprised by how fast Doyle had adapted to the NBL league and his positive influence on the team. 

He continues to posit that Milton is a wonderful player and an incredible human being and that he likes the way he interacts with teammates, coaching staff, and the entire Tasmania fraternity. He continues stressing the importance of teamwork arguing that the team has other great pieces around Milton that give him the much-needed confidence to do what does best. 

With packed fixtures next weekend against Illawarra Hawks (Thursday, 7:30 p.m.), and SEM Phoenix (Saturday, 8:00 p.m.), the Jackjumpers supporters and coaching staff are waiting with bated breath to see how the seemingly successful young talent grows his influence into the team.