The Adelaide 36ers have snapped a three-game losing skid in emphatic fashion, belting the struggling Brisbane Bullets 108-77 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
A 28-12 first quarter laid the foundation for the Sixers’ blowout victory on Saturday night.
Americans Robert Franks (25 points) and Antonius Cleveland (20) starred for Adelaide, while Anthony Drmic (16 points in 19 minutes) was tremendous off the bench.
The 36ers (7-8) are still in seventh spot but loom as a potential finals bolter, particularly following reports Ian Clark has signed as the club’s third import.
Clark was Stephen Curry’s understudy in the Golden State Warriors’ NBA championship win in 2017 and was a member of the Sydney Kings’ NBL title triumph last season.
Jason Cadee (18 points) top-scored for the ninth-ranked, depleted Bullets, whose difficult season took another dark turn.
Giant Kai Sotto, promoted to the 36ers’ starting line up in the absence of Daniel Johnson (gastro), opened with a tip-dunk, before the home team’s 15-0 flurry put Brisbane firmly on the back foot.
Cleveland threw down an acrobatic baseline slam to start the second term, so thunderous it caused his hand to bleed, before Brisbane mounted a brief fightback after switching to a zone defence.
Cadee sparked an 11-0 run before Adelaide resumed control with a 14-2 burst of their own to lead comfortably at halftime, 54-35.
The Bullets’ wheels came off completely in the third period when Franks and Cleveland inspired another 16-2 avalanche.
Drmic’s layup on the three-quarter-time bell stretched Adelaide’s advantage to 29 points and it was more of the same domination from the 36ers’ bench in the fourth.
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