The DJ Vasiljevic-inspired Adelaide 36ers noticed off a livid second-half fightback by the Sydney Kings on Friday evening to attain an entertaining 10-point victory and make it three wins in a row.
Taking part in in an at-times heated contest in opposition to his outdated aspect, Vasiljevic shot a game-high 26 factors to stretch the Sixers’ profitable run on the Adelaide Leisure Centre to seven video games.
The Kings began brightly however had been hampered by accidents, with Jaylen Adams unable to participate within the second half and Xavier Cooks hampered all through.
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Regardless of these setbacks, Sydney was nonetheless nicely within the contest late till Montrezl Harrell iced the sport in his trademark type, the fan favorite withdrawing to stuff house an athletic two-handed jam with a minute left on the clock.
Harrell was quiet early however instrumental down the stretch, ending with 18 factors and 14 rebounds, with Kendric Davis and Isaac Humphries additionally double-digit scorers.
Sydney coach Brian Goorjian needed to attain deep into his bench, however was unable to discover a profitable mixture, import Cam Oliver with a team-high 16 factors.
DJ GETS HOT
Adelaide ranked close to the highest of the league in most offensive statistics after 4 video games, however was final in defensive ranking heading into the conflict with the high-scoring Kings, so a shootout was all the time on the playing cards and that’s precisely how proceedings kicked off.
Many of the motion was from lengthy vary within the opening minutes, with the Sixers the league’s top-ranked three-point proportion taking pictures crew, with each groups averaging simply over 11 triples made per match.
The guests blasted out of the blocks with an 8-0 run and had been 3-from-3 from exterior the arc within the early going, with the 36ers lacking their first two three-point makes an attempt in a disjointed begin.
However as Vasiljevic received sizzling, the Kings went chilly, going 0-from-5 from three-point vary, with the house aspect charging to a four-point lead on the first break on the again of 12 factors to DJ.
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MEDICAL ROOM
Sydney star Adams went to the bench within the second quarter with a decrease again criticism and couldn’t make it again onto the court docket in a significant blow to the guests.
Cooks was additionally subdued with simply six factors within the first half, with some suggestion the star skipper was battling sickness.
The Kings didn’t have a double-digit scorer on the foremost break, Keli Leaupepe with a team-high eight factors.
With Davis and Humphries warming to the duty, Adelaide went on 21-9 run to guide by as a lot as 16 earlier than settling for 12-point halftime lead.
However with their backs in opposition to the wall, the Kings defied the percentages to struggle again, Cameron Oliver stepping up with 9 factors within the third quarter because the guests went on a 13-3 run to slash the margin to simply six factors heading into the ultimate time period.