JackJumpers prepare for stormy semi-final showdown with New Zealand

Game 1 of the JackJumpers semi-final series with New Zealand has been given an added element with Cyclone Gabrielle throwing a spanner in the teams plans.

After taking down the Taipans the JackJumpers are preparing for a stormy showdown with New Zealand ahead of Game 1 of the three game series on Sunday in Auckland . (Photo by Emily Barker/Getty Images)

The JackJumpers could find themselves stuck in New Zealand as a severe weather warning remains in place for Auckland.

Qantas NZ have issued a statement on their website warning passengers of flight cancellations and delays due to Cyclone Gabrielle.

A red alert warning was issued on Norfolk Island yesterday, with the category two system passing the island overnight.

The JackJumpers are currently scheduled to fly back to Hobart on Monday.

In more positive news, the JackJumpers could catch an early break on Sunday, with Breakers star guard Barry Brown Jr questionable for Game 1 with a hand injury.

The NBL’s Best Sixth Man faces a pregame test on his hand before determining if he’ll

play.

Earlier: As if the challenge of overcoming the fierce and physical New Zealand Breakers in a three game semi-final series wasn’t big enough, the JackJumpers will now be forced to navigate the weather gods after touching down in Auckland on Saturday upon a warning that Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle is on its way.

After weathering a third-quarter storm from Cairns to stun the Taipans on Thursday night, the metaphor could now become reality for the Jackies as they batten down the hatches while preparing for a mouth-watering matchup with the Breakers beginning on Sunday at Spark Arena.

The JackJumpers and New Zealand have had some heated battles this season, with tempers flaring in their November 18 matchup in Launceston (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

Speaking not long after touching down across the ditch, Jackies assistant coach Jacob Chance said the gritty side were rested and eager for their second successive semi-finals series.

“It’s good to finally be here in stormy Auckland and getting ready for a big game and the guys are well rested and pulled up pretty well from Cairns,” Chance said.

“We are looking forward to a good shootaround and getting locked in for what’s going to be a pretty big series over the next week or so.”

In four heated match-ups with the Breakers this season, the JackJumpers have tasted success just once against their trans-Tasman rivals, albeit it in their last encounter, a 93-82 win on Boxing Day in Hobart.

Despite the trio of losses, Chance said it had not been all doom and gloom against the Breakers and that they had learnt valuable lessons from them ahead of their series showdown.

“We’ve certainly gone back and looked at those first couple of games [that they lost] and credit to New Zealand they came out at the start of the year really well,” he said.

“We learnt a lot from those two games and it really helped us to be honest through the middle part of the year.

“The last two times we’ve played them we’ve been in really good spots, obviously the third time we played them we didn’t have Milton Doyle out there and Sean Macdonald fouled out, and then the fourth game we felt we finally got it to a place where the game was played more on our terms and that will be our challenge this series,” he said.

Milton Doyle has been in red-hot form for the JackJumpers and will enter Sunday’s clash off a game-high 25 points in the win over Cairns (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

With both sides known for their physicality and their in-your-face defence, Chance said whichever side could best absorb and inflict their bruising style of play would likely come out on top.

“We both play similar styles and it’s going to be who handles it better and we feel like we’ve learnt a lot from those four games,” he said.

“Hopefully we can put a game plan together that puts us in a position where we can get quality shots and ultimately help our defence get set up.

“It’s going to be interesting to see who can really get the game on their terms and we’re going to have a challenge here in front of their home crowd.

“The pleasing thing with our last game [against New Zealand] was we controlled the tempo of the game and offensively found ways to score against their pressure and that’s going to be a big key for us in these first couple of games.”

Chance said skipper Clint Steindl, who is battling to overcome a hip injury, would be a game-time decision come Sunday.

Jackies skipper Clint Steindl will be a game-time decision for Game 1. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

“Clint is going really well and its day by day for him and we’re trying to give him every chance we can.

“His value goes far beyond what he does for us on the court in terms of what he does around the group, and to have his experience, and Jarrad Weeks here, particularly with [Josh] Magette not around, has been massive.

“Hopefully we can get him [Steindl] onto the floor at some stage this series we are just not sure when but we’ll give him every chance possible.”

Game 1 between the JackJumpers and New Zealand tips off 4pm Sunday.