Isaac
Years ago
Funny Narrow win at home continues Sixers streak
The Adelaide 36ERS have fought a dogged four quarters to scrape home with a 90-89 win over the Brisbane Bullets and extend their winning streak to eight games, the sixth best streak in franchise history.
Brett Maher ran out of time on one of the final plays, pressured into losing the ball with 3.4 seconds remaining, but the rare fumble wasted crucial time. After a time-out, the Bullets pushed the ball forward desperately, but Brisbane guard Lanard Copeland stumbled in the corner and the shot attempt was too late and too wide.
It was, though, far from smooth sailing in the home team's attempts to exact revenge for their elimination from the play-off race in 2004/05. A first quarter barrage from Stephen Black as he amassed 15 points set Adelaide aback before Dusty Rychart and Oscar Forman started to reel in the gap.
Forman had a tip-dunk off a 36ERS missed shot and then made two three-point shots to have 8 points at the first break, Adelaide down 24-27 after the Bullets' 4-15 opening.
The 36ERS kept the ex-Melbourne duo of Mark Bradtke and Copeland scoreless in the first term and Bradtke had no luck for much of the game, missing all eight attempts in the first three quarters of game-time.
His opposite in the paint, David Cooper, was similarly luckless, finishing with only 2 points and 3 rebounds in the game, but did have 4 assists.
Near the main break, Brisbane had extended their edge to eight before Jacob Holmes hit a jumper with a couple of seconds left to make it 43-49. Rychart had 16 points, but was overshadowed by the brilliant shooting of Black who had 22.
Starting the third quarter, the teams traded baskets, Willie Farley and Maher matching the treys from Brisbane's Black and Mick Hill.
A foul on Bullets' forward Sam Mackinnon as he tried to stop Holmes on the break, and a subsequent technical foul on Bradtke did not help the visitor's chances as first Holmes and then Maher made them pay, combining for 4-of-4 straight free throws.
Adelaide went into the last period up by a single point, though they gave up the lead before wrestling it back one last time. Bradtke made up for his shocking start, scoring ten in the clutch quarter on 4-of-6 shooting and finished with 15 rebounds including key defensive boards down the stretch.
For Adelaide, Holmes scored seven with icy-cool free throws under pressure and finished with a tally of 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Mackinnon made his second basket of the half, with a crucial three courtesy of a Black assist, and the score was 78-82. Then, with the scoreline 81-85, Forman hit a clutch shot from range and Adelaide were down by a single point, 84-85. The end margin was the same, but favouring Adelaide, as Farley forced Black into a backcourt turnover and made a critical shot of his own to snatch the final lead.
Adelaide won for the sixth time at home this season and moved to a 9-1 record for 2005/06, one win ahead of the Sydney Kings. The 36ERS travel to Perth for a Friday night game against the Wildcats, while Brisbane visit the Hunter Pirates on the same night.
Adelaide 36ERS 90 (Farley 21, Rychart 20, Maher 20, Holmes 13, Forman 11)
Brisbane Bullets 89 (Black 30, Brannen 16, Hill 15, Bradtke 10)
