The ladder-leading Adelaide 36ers opened their Christmas presents early, Bryce Cotton and Nick Rakocevic combining to propel the Sixers to a convincing 20-point win in opposition to the Cairns Taipans on Christmas Eve.
It was the top-ranked 36ers versus the Tenth-placed Taipans on the Adelaide Leisure Centre on Wednesday evening, however the previous two video games between these groups in Adelaide have been hard-fought affairs that went to additional time.
Cairns pushed the house aspect laborious early, however the Sixers led by eight factors at three-quarter time and cruised to a scientific win that improved their file to 16-4 to strengthen their maintain on high spot.
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Rakocevic loved an NBL career-best 19 factors and made it a double-double with 13 rebounds, Cotton led all scorers with 22 factors and 11 assists, and DJ Vasiljevic received scorching late to complete with 15 factors.
COLD START
Almost two minutes elapsed and not using a bucket from both group earlier than Sam Waardenburg emphatically opened the scoring with a two-handed jam.
The Sixers have been 1-of-5 from the ground in a chilly begin to the conflict, whereas Waardenburg and the fired-up Taipans raced to an early 8-2 lead.
Troy Brown Jr was moved into the beginning line-up, however the American import didn’t file a stat in any class in simply over 5 minutes on the ground in any class within the first quarter.
Cotton had averaged 34 factors per sport in his final 10 appearances in opposition to Cairns, however was restricted to 4 within the opening time period.
Rakocevic got here off the bench and injected his trademark fireplace to spark the house aspect.
Again-to-back triples to Matt Kenyon and an 11-0 run gave Adelaide the lead for the primary time with simply over two minutes remaining, with the Sixers main it 23-21 on the first break.
NOT SO FAST
Cotton hit his first three early within the second quarter because the 36ers hit their straps to guide by as a lot as 13 and threaten to take the sport away.
However the guests shook off an detached jiffy to placed on a 9-2 late within the time period, with Marcus Lee going up excessive for a monster dunk and Waardenburg persevering with to guide the cost with a game-high 11 factors on the half.
The house aspect led by eight factors on the primary break, however Brown continued to wrestle to make an affect, the import scoreless within the first half after lacking his lone three-point try.
Adelaide struggled to search out high gear after the restart, managing simply seven factors within the first 5 minutes of the third quarter, as Cairns went on an 11-2 run.
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RAKOCEVIC RISES
Cotton was instrumental as Adelaide regained the momentum within the third quarter and Rakocevic continued to have an effect.
The fiery import made it an NBL career-best 16 factors in emphatic vogue, rising excessive above Kyrin Galloway to throw down a thunderous one-handed dunk that had the gang on its toes and his teammates hyped, with Adelaide main 73-61 heading into the ultimate time period.