Sixers Hold Out Brave Phoenix on Christmas Eve

Sunday, December 25, 2022

The Adelaide 36ers eventually wore down the wounded and weary South East Melbourne Phoenix at home on Christmas Eve to keep their winning form going to claim the 94-88 victory.

Both teams came into the game on two-match winning streaks with the 36ers playing a third consecutive home match while the Phoenix were just running on fumes in their sixth game in the last 17 days.

While Adelaide came into the game without an unwell Anthony Drmic and with new import Ian Clark not hitting the court, South East Melbourne had Alan Williams join Ryan Broekhoff, Gary Browne and Zhou Qi on the sidelines.

Eventually that proved the difference and Adelaide were able to overrun a shorthanded and understandably exhausted Phoenix, but you have to give credit to South East Melbourne for the fight they still put up.

The Phoenix still put up 32 first half points and led by double-figures early in the second with Kyle Adnam having 13 of their first 35 points. However, Adelaide finished the first half on an 11-2 run before working their way on top in the second.

The 36ers still couldn’t quite shake the Phoenix until scoring the first seven points of the fourth quarter to open up a double-figure advantage. South East Melbourne kept coming and did get it back to four but the Sixers did enough to win by six.

It's a third straight win for the 36ers who are now 9-8 and break into the top six while the Phoenix remain in the top four at 12-8.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">He's a highlight machine ? AC with the steal and ???<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> live on ESPN via Kayo Sports + Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/ybXlTz38M4">pic.twitter.com/ybXlTz38M4</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1606561248644018176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Robert Franks was again terrific for Adelaide with 20 points and eight rebounds with fellow import stud Antonius Cleveland delivering 13 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Daniel Johnson continues to give great spark off the bench with 20 points and seven rebounds on 6/9 shooting with captain Mitch McCarron contributing 16 points, four rebounds and two assists.

Sixers coach CJ Bruton was delighted to head into Christmas with the three straight wins and with Ian Clark to come in.

"I'm definitely very happy for the 36ers, for our players and for our organisation," Bruton said.

"We had to fight for it and Phoenix came in and with the way they've been playing even though they were undermanned, they give it every crack.

"Clearly 32 points in that first quarter is not what anyone wants to see when you're playing even at home for an opponent to have that sort of number against you.

"I thought we did a very good job to manage that and to come away with a lead at half-time, and then to come out in that third quarter and maintain it."

Mitch Creek once again did all he could to give South East Melbourne a chance with 24 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Kyle Adnam had a hot start on his way to 18 points with Tohi Smith-Milner adding 14 points, Trey Kell III 10 points, four rebounds and four assists, and Owen Foxwell 10 points and three assists.

Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell had good reason to make excuses with the players missing and the schedule they've had, but he would have none of it.

"I see it as one that slipped away," Mitchell said.

"We talked before the game about how early in the season we had a bunch of guys out, and I thought every game was a free hit when we've got these kids and four guys who haven’t played in the league before with our veterans injured, and Creeky having not done anything all pre-season.

"But we're at a point now 12 rounds in where there's no free hits. We came into the game with a true belief that we were the better team and we expected to win. We didn't so we're disappointed."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Smith-Milner making his minutes ????? - how's the shot from the big man? ?<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> live on ESPN via Kayo Sports + Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/q3DPbuEMlE">pic.twitter.com/q3DPbuEMlE</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1606558555636580352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Phoenix made the first break early in the game with Kyle Adnam completing a 7-0 run to give them a 9-4 advantage before consecutive triples from Sunday Dech kept Adelaide close.

Daniel Johnson hit the floor and didn’t take long to put the 36ers in front, but South East Melbourne finished the quarter strongly with 10 of the last 12 points including a three ball from Junior Madut just before the buzzer for the 32-26 quarter-time edge.

That soon became 36-26 to start the second term with buckets to Adnam and Dane Pineau, but Adelaide were able to hit back and it was Johnson leading the charge. He scored seven straight Sixers points but it wasn’t until a dominant finish to the half the home team took the lead.

It was started and finished with Mitch McCarron with Adelaide finishing the half with a 11-2 run to go into the break leading 49-47 on the back of shooting 55 per cent from the field to 44 with seven extra rebounds despite having the 10 turnovers.

Robert Franks had the hot start to the second half for the 36ers starting with an and-one and when he got the rack again soon after he put his team up six.

South East Melbourne stayed in touch with a couple of three balls from Trey Kell III, and not long after the Phoenix were back in front on the back of Tohi Smith-Milner connecting from beyond the arc.

Johnson soon regained the edge for Adelaide and the home team went into three quarter-time leading 72-69.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">McCarron got the ????? ?<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> Christmas Eve hoops live on ESPN via Kayo Sports + Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/nRi71smDKn">pic.twitter.com/nRi71smDKn</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1606542516689334272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It was all Adelaide to start the fourth quarter as they scored the first seven points with Franks and Cleveland leading the charge. The lead blew out to 13 soon after with a triple from Franks and while it did get out to as much as 14 before they won by six despite a bit of a late scare.

Both teams now get to enjoy Christmas before the 36res host the Brisbane Bullets on Thursday and the Phoenix take on the Tasmania JackJumpers in Hobart on New Year's Day.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 12

ADELAIDE 36ERS 94 (Johnson 20, Franks 20, McCarron 16)

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 88 (Creek 24, Adnam 18, Smith-Milner 14)

BOX SCORE