Cleveland Inspires Sixers Fightback Over Snakes

Saturday, December 3, 2022

Robert Franks nailed the clutch free-throws but it was Antonius Cleveland who inspired a stunning Adelaide 36ers comeback from 19 points down to beat the Cairns Taipans 78-75 at home on Friday night.

After the 36ers scored the first bucket of the night at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, it was all the Taipans who led by 15 at quarter-time and by as much as 19 early in the second when Shannon Scott landed a three ball.

However, the Sixers refused to lie down and it was Cleveland the inspiration with his hounding defence, quick hands and then explosiveness on offence that willed his team back into the contest.

Even so, Cairns still led by eight with 4:30 to play but then the 36ers scored the next 10 points to go from eight down to two up when Cleveland nabbed a massive o-board and put it back to score.

There was still drama to come and it was Franks fouled with 2.3 seconds to go beyond the arc. He made all three and even then, Cairns were given one last crack when Franks inexplicably travelled while celebrating with time left.

DJ Hogg's prayer didn’t go, though, and Adelaide pulled off the biggest comeback win of the season having held the Taipans to just 28 points in the second half.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Blink and you'll miss it! ?<br><br>? - <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNAusNZ</a> + <a href="https://twitter.com/kayosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kayosports</a> <a href="https://t.co/QVoNERhXew">pic.twitter.com/QVoNERhXew</a></p>— Adelaide 36ers (@Adelaide36ers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Adelaide36ers/status/1598624092768579584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It was a comeback win full of heart from the 36ers with Cleveland outstanding finishing with 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Despite shooting just 3/18, Franks nailed all seven of his free-throws for 15 points, seven boards, four assists and two steals as well with Daniel Johnson adding 10 points and nine boards.

Hyrum Harris contributed eight points and six rebounds, Sunday Dech eight points, six boards, five assists and two steals, and Mitch McCarron seven points, six rebounds and three steals.

Sixers coach CJ Bruton was delighted with the way his team was able to turnaround a rough first half to get the important win.

"As a team that's competing for something special, you've got to find ways to get some of these games," Bruton said.

"I thought in the first we were turning the ball over against a team that lives off turnovers so having 11 in the first half and seven in that first quarter set the tone.

"It led to transition buckets for them and a nice comfortable lead, but as the game went on and we reminded the boys at half-time that there's two halves.

"We said the effort and intensity we need to play at, there needed to be more urgency and the casualness was like an NBA game after they've played 50 games.

"I was getting a little worried about that, it's not that they weren’t trying but the concentration and shots weren’t as consistent as I'd like. But we were able to turn that around."

The Taipans will be frustrated to lose after being in such a commanding position with Tahjere McCall finishing with 24 points.

Keanu Pinder added 12 points and eight rebounds, Sam Waardenburg eight points, five rebounds and three steals, and DJ Hogg seven points, three boards and three assists.

Taipans coach Adam Forde lamented his team conceding 17 offensive rebounds and then the 16 turnovers they finished with.

""The reality is that we gave up 17 offensive rebounds. There was just more effort applied from them and credit to them," Forde said.

"Adelaide weren’t shooting particularly well like us, but they did a good job generating turnovers and leading out to their own attack breaks. But really, guys like Hyrum Harris came off the bench and just crashed the rebounds, and were beating us up with the hustle effort.

"Unfortunately that was really telling throughout the game. That was one we had, sure, but Adelaide did a fantastic job bringing themselves back into it."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The rook can fly ?? Marshall gets the SLAM<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/7mcLf75Hn8">pic.twitter.com/7mcLf75Hn8</a></p>— The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1598614123536736256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A 6-0 run put the Snakes up 6-2 early doors and that advantage soon became 13-6 on the back of a three-pointer from Tahjere McCall and then a dunk from Keanu Pinder on his old home floor.

Adelaide did respond after a CJ Bruton timeout with a triple from Sunday Dech, but the Snakes had come to play and scored the game's next 12 points in a stunning streak leading into quarter-time.

It included a three-point bomb from Bul Kuol with the Snakes in control up 27-12 after one on the back of shooting 50 per cent from the floor to Adelaide's 29, and scoring 11 points off the seven turnovers and holding Robert Franks and Daniel Johnosn scoreless.

Early threes in the second period from Jonah Antonio and Shannon Scott saw the Cairns lead grow to 19 and Adelaide had to make a stand. They briefly did with the next seven points, but the Taipans continued to have all the answers.

DJ Hogg opened his account with a dunk shortly before half-time to see his team lead 47-32 at the major break with 18 points off the 11 Adelaide turnovers, and 24 points in the paint to 14 with neither team shooting well from deep – going a combined 6/27.

The Sixers did open the second half with more energy with Antonius Cleveland leading the charge. Nick Marshall also nailed a three to bring the margin back to single-figures.

The 36ers were able to get back within five late in the third term but a triple on the buzzer from McCall saw the Taipans still lead 63-55 after three.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">TAHJ GOES L?NG, ON THE 3QT BUZZER!<br><br>We're in for a serious finish here.<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/qyOPvKwPs8">pic.twitter.com/qyOPvKwPs8</a></p>— The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1598619327778865153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A third McCall three-pointer on the night early in the fourth saw Cairns' lead soon back out to 11 when he found Pinder for the alley-oop finish.

Cairns were still up eight with 4:30 to go but Adelaide weren’t done. Cleveland's defence was inspiring them and turning into points up the other end. When he stole Scott's inbounds pass, he went up for a dunk and the margin was just two with three minutes to play.

A minute and-a-half later and Dech scored to bring scores level and then inexplicably McCall turned it over when he didn’t ground himself for the inbounds pass.

It didn’t prove a fatal error but the Sixers did snatch the lead 30 seconds later on the back of an offensive rebound and putback from who else – Cleveland.

Soon after Cairns ended a three-minute scoring rout with McCall nailing both free-throws and it came down to Adelaide having possession with 4.4 seconds to go. Out of the timeout, Franks fumbled the three-point attempt, but was fouled by McCall on the second go.

The decision stood after Adam Forde challenged it and he won the game for the 36ers by nailing 3/3 at the stripe.

The 36ers have a short turnaround to head to Sydney to face the defending champion Kings on Sunday. The Taipans don't play again until facing the Illawarra Hawks at home next Saturday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 9

ADELAIDE 36ERS 78 (Cleveland 23, Franks 15, Johnson 10)

CAIRNS TAIPANS 75 (McCall 24, Pinder 12, Waardenburg 8)

BOX SCORE