Good luck with that....

You could see that coming(Adelaide tanking)and i don't think they will tank in front of home fans and last game before finals or it could be dangerous.They should be wanting to go into the finals with a win.

If Cairns beat Adelaide on Saturday, Cairns will most likely finish second. How does that help Adelaide in the finals?

It would mean that if Adelaide won their semi they might play Cairns in the GF- a team they've comfortably beaten twice in games where they've been trying to win.

Nothing is ever provable in situations like this, but I'm suspicious.

(And I was already suspicious before this game. Which is the main reason I put a few multi bets on this round involving Cairns winning one or both games. And why I put a bet on Cairns to make the playoffs at $5 a couple of weeks ago. So far, so good).

The Sixers were definitely trying to win. They were just trying to do so with the clutch lineup down the stretch of Doyle, Teys, Drmic, Deng and Hodgson.

If that was tanking it was magnificent. Great coaching by Joey, not risking his guns down the stretch but the full court pressure in the 3rd almost had us!
We had to produce some big plays & shots down the stretch!
We might have been on the better side of some 50/50 calls also....
Great game

I doubt Adelaide gives a stuff what happens to the other teams. They've earned the right to use these last games to manage minutes and play around with combinations & tactics.

If you're good enough, you will make it. When you relying on other team's, you are up shit creek. Perth have blown leads all season, Sydney just went to sleep after a great start, United played out of sorts + injuries don't help, cairns had a tough draw to start and have done well also nz had a shit run with injuries.

You like to rest players, it happens all the time and when you have to play sometimes you can't get back in the groove as quickly as you want.

Hate to say it but I enjoy watching them play this season, Randle is in a different league, deserving map! Sobey been awesome and great role players doing what they are meant to do.

^^^ mvp

Nah, I really don't see that happening.
Wouldn't surprise me if Prather is leading at the half way mark of the season, but he dropped off after that. Lisch had Newley taking a lot of votes off him at the start of the season. Clarke had a very slow start to the season.
I could see Craig getting runner up, but I really don't see how anyone could get near Randle even under the current crappy system.

i don't think tanking exists outside of draft reasons. Winners go out to win.

In theory a team could lose on purpose to help a team into the playoffs, thereby keeping another "better" team out.
Unlikely at the best of times that the clear #1 team would ever doubt themselves enough to do that. Even unlikelier this season with playoff picture still so unclear.

Good enough for Lemanis Boomers ! LOL

And for Italy

No other side has played predominately their bench for the last quarter in order to win a game. That was great team training yesterday, we get into foul trouble, have injuries etc. we KNOW we can play 10 deep and not really lose anything.

Could this cost us if Cairns comes 2nd? Who ever plays Cairns in the semi's could essentially rest their first 5.

I wouldn't call that tanking. That's resting key / veteran players in preparing for the finals.

Why go balls to the wall for no upside?

While im not a fan of this concept, Sixers had the luxury of resting their players. Any other team in their position would have done the same thing. Perth did it last year against Sydney as did Melbourne against NZ. Im sure if they ended up winning last night with the lineup they played, they'd still be more than happy as it keeps them in form.

Its their reward for finishing on top of the ladder by a fair margin. Whether it comes unstuck on them in the playoffs will remain to be seen.

Tanking doesn't work. Crocs (allegedly - but we all know...) did it a few years ago to force us into a playoff scenario against them. We wiped the floor with them 2 - 0.

Good on them, they have earnt a guaranteed finals spot, why not do what is best for your team.

Coming into Round 19 I thought the most likely scenario was Cairns winning game 1 of the split and losing game 2. Still think that's the case after watching last night's game. I've always had a soft spot for Cairns and they deserved last night's win, but in the return leg Adelaide will have a point to prove and will come out firing.

Thanks Joey.

Adelaide will want a win before finals

Good chance to throw the bench in the deep end before things get more hectic. I don't think they did too badly either. Some poor shot options, but barely lost and guys like Deng and Doyle will be better for the minutes.

Great move by Joey Wright. It wasn't an important game to win, and he got to put hsi second unit on the floor in a real pressure cooker situation. Adelaide have come out as well form last night's loss as any team that's ever lost a basketball game.

We (Taipans) will have to play out of our skins to get a W on Saturday, and Joey has the luxury of using Johnson in the 4th Q, leaving Sobey on beyond the third minute of the 4th, and/or using Randle for more than 11:11 if he wants a win.

I hate to say it, but I think Adelaide are in a great position to win it all, going into the finals, because they are cruising in without stress as a team, while individual players who might need the stress of big game situations have played in those conditions.

Other teams are all scrambling to even make the play-offs, and that wears on you physically and mentally.

Did Adelaide tank? No. I think they played to win, whereas tanking is playing to lose. Could they have gone harder to get the win? Yes. Maybe it comes down to your definition of tanking.

Is it important for them to win on Saturday? Yes. Unfortunately, I think they will. By about 15.

How can you tank in order to get a desired opponent in this league when pretty much the entire final 4 will be determined by multiple last-round results?

That is tanking, to win you play your best players. Not questioning the situation but if you talking about tanking that was it. If you try to win the best players play. Plain and simple.

Do you blame them no! People pay money to see the best players play on any comp, I personally don't like it even in afl or any sport, teams and competitions need the teams to be playing to win.

Randle might be doing warm ups and his hammi will go, injuries can happen any where any time. I'm not saying anything is wrong what Joey did, I'll do the same but people pay and the casual fan last night wanting to see is cairns good enough to make it instead of here beat the bench and you are good enough.

Did Adelaide tank? No. I think they played to win, whereas tanking is playing to lose. Could they have gone harder to get the win? Yes. Maybe it comes down to your definition of tanking.

Adelaide have looked in control at various points of their last three losses. It's just been that extra determination from the opposition that's been the difference. Against NZ, Adelaide were a bit lazy in those closing minutes and the opposition has just been more desperate.

Adelaide still look good though. I think this is a better team than the one in Joey's first year.

If u was adelaide I'd prefer perth than nz. Perth unfortunately has been all over the place. Nz I think is more likely to get and stay hot

The 36ers clearly did not deliberately lose.

They managed their big minute players to ensure they didn't risk injury

WHY did he tank?
Don't know.

Jump on to NBL TV, and have a look at the replay. In fact I'll save you some time, just watch the last minute or so.
Game was there to be won, Joey put his worst players on the court.
ie he lost deliberately.

Appatently other trams can tirn it on and iff and they still didn't make finals..

This season is far too unpredictable to automatically assume Adelaide are going to win a final....let alone 5 to win a championship.

IMHFO, them being swept out in the semis is just as likely as them doing the sweeping.

Will be interesting to see if Sobey has any composure in the big games or if he goes to water like CG43 has done on every single occasion.

Without Sobey, Randle & DJ firing, the 6ers haven't a prayers chance in hell.

Well its official, Joey shall henceforth be known simply as "Tank."

I still think they'll win the lot, and deservedly so.
But I will shit myself laughing if Karma bite him n the arse.

Anon, do you have fat fingers or have you been drinking a bit too much there, old bud?

@ROFLcopter, since praying has never been proven to work and there is no evidence of hell either, in biblical terms anyway, I guess they are cooked then...

So, by your reckoning, it's 50/50 anon^?

So, just to finish off, I thought it would be interesting to run a final what if. (Included here, rather than start another thread.)

So, what if Adelaide had finished with 4 wins:
Perth finish clear 2nd, and lets be honest, make it to the GF.
Hawks finish 3rd.
MU finishes 4th.
(Guess Tank won't be on DD's Christmas Card list.)

3 wins (lost to the Hawks.)
Perth 2nd
Hawks 3rd
MU 4th
so no change.

2 wins (losses to Hawks & NZ)
NZ pushes out MU

1 win
Cairns edges out NZ.