Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
South East Melbourne coach Josh King has lamented a “very confusing” new rule that made a game-defining impact on his team’s 96-91 loss to a resurgent Tasmania.
With the JackJumpers leading by a mere two points late in the fourth quarter at MyState Bank Arena on Monday, the Phoenix’s D’Shawn Schwartz was handed free throws after a ‘disruptive foul’ by Nick Marshall.
The rule, which was only introduced this NBL season and cracks down on players who stop the flow of the game, dictated that only Schwartz could take the shots as he was fouled.
However, South East Melbourne point guard Skylar Mays took the ball and went to the free throw line, incurring a penalty which handed possession back to Tasmania, who then scored a flurry of points.
“We heard the refs say two shots and the ball, but it wasn’t,” King said. “Then when Skylar went to the line, it wiped out everything.
“Very confusing. I’ll have to get some clarity behind it.
“You don’t ever want to put your team in a situation where you have to rely on a play like that, so that’s not what decided the game at all.”
The contentious call overshadowed promising guard Taran Armstrong’s NBL return as the Tasmanian local made his debut for the JackJumpers.
It came after the 24-year-old left the league and Cairns Taipans at the end of the 2024/2025 season after signing with NBA powerhouse Golden State Warriors.
The guard will no doubt be looking to produce a stellar season to collect another American contract, and on Monday he produced a positive performance, racking up 19 points and three assists.
While Armstrong started strongly, it was David Johnson (26 points, six assists, six rebounds) who was at the centre of the win, providing the spark to help the JackJumpers overturn a 14-point halftime deficit.
The guard nailed 10 points early in the third quarter to thrust the home team into the contest before they held on to secure victory.
MAGNAY WITH THE CLUTCH BLOCK ?Watch live on ESPN ? pic.twitter.com/QgJD1nyYkq? NBL (@NBL) September 21, 2026
Tasmania’s coach Scott Roth was also battling with illness, but star centre Will Magnay (14 points, six assists) helped provide a tonic in his team’s first game of the season.
“I don’t feel great, but I feel a little bit better. So, thanks to our guys in their second half, they were amazing defensively and really dug in,” Roth said.
“It’s a classic JackJumper game.”
For South East Melbourne, guard Angus Glover topped the side’s scoresheet with 21 points while recruit Dash Daniels posted 11 points and four assists.
The Phoenix mixed rigid defence with explosive offence to start, helping the visitors’ lead 52-38 at the main break.
But Johnson hit top gear to give the home team a glimmer before Tasmania took the ascendancy towards the end of the third period and kept their composure.
