A 42-point Bryce Cotton masterclass ensured Adelaide 36ers’ championship tilt got off to a flyer with victory over a dogged South East Melbourne Phoenix in game one of their semi-final playoff series.
On the big stage of NBL finals, Cotton rose to the occasion like few can with in his side’s 104-97 win at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
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The 36ers took a two-point lead into the final term, and despite the never-say-die Phoenix going on a late 8-0 run, the Sixers held on for a memorable win.
Cotton played down his heroics in the win – with his 42 points a club playoff record in the 40-minute era.
“It feels great! We protect the home court. They played a hell of a game,” he said.
“I’m so exhausted!
“But if that’s what it takes to win – whatever it takes.
“All that matters is the wins.”
The result means Josh King’s men must win their home clash in Melbourne on Saturday to force the three-game series into a decider in Adelaide next Tuesday.
Further souring the loss, there’s concerns for Phoenix defensive master John Brown III who limped slowly from the court inside the last minute and sat dejected on the bench.
RUST? WHAT RUST?
Having finished the regular season in second spot, the Sixers took to the court for the first time since their Ignite Cup loss to New Zealand just over a fortnight ago, while the Phoenix came off a six-day break after an impressive finals win against Perth Wildcats.
The 36ers could have been forgiven for being a touch rusty after such a long break, but Cotton ensured that wasn’t the case.
After the visitors scored the first six points of the contest, Cotton exploded into action.
In his first game since claiming his sixth NBL MVP crown, Cotton poured in 14 points on 6-from-6 shooting, including two triples, to spur his side to an 18-11 lead that had coach King calling time-out with just over four minutes left in the first quarter.
But in an engrossing duel, the hard-edged Phoenix dug deep on the defensive end and went on a 10-0 run at the other, led by Nathan Sobey with 11 first-quarter points to take a 27-25 lead into the first break.
GLOVER GOOD, BRYCE BETTER
Angus Glover joined Sobey on 11 points early in the second quarter with back-to-back three-pointers, but just as the Phoenix started to edge away, Cotton did what Cotton does best.
With his side trailing by six points, this season’s leading scorer set up an Isaac Humphries bucket with a sublime bounce pass in traffic then drained successive triples of his own to take his tally to 24 points in the first half and put the home team up by two points at the main break.
Nick Rakocevic was Adelaide’s next best with six points, with the combative big also picking up three fouls in the first half, including a crunching unsportsmanlike against Akech Aliir that caused tempers to flare.
Sobey had a team-high 13 points in the first half, but the skipper was 0-from-3 from long range with his side 4-from-17 (23 per cent) from outside the arc to Adelaide’s 5-from-14 (35%).
MAJORITY LEADER
When Cotton drained his fifth triple four minutes into the third quarter, he had 31 points or half his side’s total in the 62-55 scoreline, and he quickly improved his percentage to a majority of the total with another three and a bucket to have a stunning 35 of Adelaide’s 66 points.
In a pulsating third term, Zylan Cheatham provided a highlight with a wicked, reverse two-handed stuff after Rakocevic hit the deck in a bone-jarring collision that he was able to shake off.
But as well as the home side was playing, the Phoenix did superbly to absorb the blows with Sobey pivotal with 19 points and seven of his team’s 34 rebounds to the Sixers’ 28 after three quarters.