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TASMANIA took a giant leap toward sealing third spot on the NBL ladder as Adelaide hit the wall in Hobart, and New Zealand's post-season picnic plans stayed alive with a Lamb-less win in Perth, the Breakers taking the edge off the post-game #53 uniform retirement party for Wildcats' legend Damian Martin.   

Jack McVeigh (26 points at 76 percent, 4-of-6 threes, eight rebounds) got the ball rolling with a three-point play for the JackJumpers, Dejan Vasiljevic countering with a 3-pointer and continuing to score the 36ers' first seven points before an Isaac Humphries three-point play gave the visitors a 10-7 lead. 

Unsung hero Trey Kell (29 points, 10 rebounds, three assists) extended the Sixers' lead to four at 13-9 but McVeigh was having none of it. Combining with Sean MacDonald - playmaker Jordon Crawford sin-binned after two early fouls - and Milton Doyle, they constructed a mini 9-0 outburst to lead 18-13.

Kell pulled three back but MacDonald was feeling it, as was McVeigh, and when Fabijan Krslovic joined the scoring celebrations, Tasmania was ahead 31-21 and laying the foundation for a strong win.

The Sixers' successful recent strategy of going inside to Humphries largely was ignored through the first half and when he did finally get the ball, his confidence and shot deserted him.

MacDonald's early second quarter 3-pointer and more McVeigh mastery had alarm bells ringing, the avalanche stalled by Alex Starling's fledgling umbrella which led to consecutive baskets by the naturalised veteran.

When Will Magnay and Anthony Drmic joined in on the Tassie offence, the JackJumpers were swarming from everywhere, Adelaide heavily reliant on Kell and cameos.

Crawford and Doyle (17 points, career-high 10 assists) found their rhythm after halftime, McVeigh still hot as the Adelaide offence fell stagnant and increasingly dependent on too few to do too much.

Conversely, Tasmania had no shortage of contributors as it built its lead out to 23 several times during the third quarter, Starling, Kell and Jacob Wiley able to drag the deficit back to 69-83 by the last break.

Keeping alive their slim play-in hopes, the 36ers clawed to 73-83 and looked alive until Clint Steindl killed them with a three-bomb. A MacDonald drive had the lead back to 15 and the Sixers' will was broken.

Even the exhortations of coach Scott Ninnis to keep the final margin from impacting too greatly on Adelaide's overall negative percentage could not keep the Ants from absolutely running away with this.

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 109 (McVeigh 26, Doyle 17, Crawford 15, MacDonald 14, Magnay 11; Magnay 12 rebs; Doyle 10 assts) d ADELAIDE 36ERS 86 (Kell 29, Vasiljevic 21, Wiley 11, Starling 10; Kell 10 rebs; Marshall 4 assts) at Mystate Bank Arena. Crowd: 4,340

LOSING key scorer Anthony Lamb to a foot injury after just 8:44 of action - at which point he had six points on a perfect 2-of-2 FGs and 2-of-2 FTs, plus three rebounds - should have derailed New Zealand in Perth.

Instead, the Breakers stayed right on track, Zylan Cheatham (24 points at 58 percent, 8 rebounds) opening with a three-point play, then another basket and a Mantas Rubstavicius 3-pointer making it an 8-0 opening.

Hyrum Harris collected three fouls in a record 78 seconds, subbed out with the first quarter clock showing 8:42 and never a factor. Rarely was Bryce Cotton either, the Breakers lifting a page from Illawarra's playbook and consistently running a second player at him.

Consequently, Cotton was a frustrated man, contained to 13 points on 3-of-14 shooting, 6-of-10 from the free throw line, and a game-high four turnovers.

Perth never led, catching NZ at 10-10 but back in the chase after Izayah Le'afa's 3-pointer.

Keanu Pinder (21 points, 15 rebounds) was carrying the Perth offence but once the second quarter began, the match became the Parker Jackson-Cartwright Show.

Driving at super speed or pulling up short for a mid-range jumper, PJC turned an agitated Red Army crowd from PG to R as he added to his four first-quarter points with 15 in the second.

No-one could contain the pocket rocket, New Zealand 46-32 clear before Cotton from the stripe and Pinder with a three-point play and late basket edged it back to 39-46 at halftime.

Jackson-Cartwright had 19 points at halftime but it was Cheatham, Rubstavicius, Mangok Mathiang and Finn Delany - making a timely return with Lamb fried early - whose work took the lead out to 60-44.

William McDowell-White swished a three and at 63-44, New Zealand was rolling. It was Pinder again and Cotton with his solitary 3-pointer that kept Perth alive, Cotton's assist for a Jesse Wagstaff three drawing the Wildcats to 54-67.

Wagstaff swished another - also off a Cotton feed - and by the last break, the margin was back to eight.

Inside the last four minutes and Perth down 74-79 but coming, Mathiang's defensive rebound freed Cheatham on the break who drove down the lane but dished to Le'afa in the corner.

As Le'afa's three swished to restore an 82-74 lead, it was clear NZ was not going to stall and also that Perth's game of catchup was not going to bear fruit, Cheatham closing this from the free throw line. 

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 89 (Cheatham 24, Jackson-Cartwright 19, Mathiang 11, Rubstavicius 10; Mathiang 9 rebs; Le'afa, Jackson-Cartwright 5 assts) d PERTH WILDCATS 78 (Pinder 21, Wagstaff, Cotton 13, Usher 11, Doolittle 10; Pinder 15 rebs; Cotton 6 assts) at RAC Arena. Crowd: 12,975