Adelaide 36ers spoil Mitch Creek’s return for the Phoenix with 113-111 thriller at the Entertainment Centre
The Adelaide 36ers returned home for the first time in 19 days last night and partied with a two-point win over the South East Melbourne Phoenix. It was not without its drama, heroes and villains. Here’s our key takeaways from the big game.
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IT HAD been 19 days since the Adelaide 36ers had played at home and last night they put on a party to mark their return with a two-point win over South East Melbourne Phoenix in a thriller.
From Eric Griffin’s chest-thumping three-pointer and three last-quarter dunks, to Jerome Randle’s sidestepping magic and Harry Froling’s 17-point third quarter, Adelaide celebrated coach Joey Wright’s 200th game in charge with a 113-111 win.
It wasn’t without a major scare which all added to the drama when Brendan Teys and Anthony Drmic missed three free throws between them with 12 seconds left and Mitch Creek had the chance to tie the game but his lay-up rimmed out on the buzzer.
HARRY’S HUSTLE
Harry Froling won the NBL’s rookie of the year last year and for whatever reason just hadn’t got going this year.
But just last week Wright said it was only a matter of time before he did. On one condition - Froling had to want it badly enough. Well turns out, he does.
The big fella had just two rebounds in three minutes in the first half before exploding with 17 points in the third quarter to wrestle control of the game.
With Obi Kyei fouled out, Froling nailed two threes and grabbed five rebounds even if one did cost him a tech foul for letting his opponent know about it afterwards.
But the best was yet to come. With one second remaining in the third quarter, Randle’s shot fell short but Froling helped it in with a back-handed volleyball-style spike which gave the Sixers a 10-point lead.
RANDLE MAGIC
Jerome Randle is worth every cent the club is paying him. He’s had some magical moments in an Adelaide 36ers’ jersey but there seemed something extra special about his game last night.
Mid-way through the third quarter, his team under pressure after surrendering a 12-point lead, Randle went coast-to-coast, wrong-footed two opponents at the top of the key, beat a third in the paint for pace then made a spinning fallaway over his head for a three-point play on Adam Gibson.
His last two jump shots were clutch to put Adelaide in front and then seal the win in the final minute to finish with 26 points.
CREEK’S RETURN
After a low-key opening with two points and two fouls, Creek almost stole the show.
He led an 8-0 Phoenix run to get them back into it in the second quarter and his three-pointer in the last gave him 27 points and everything but the game-winner in his first game in Adelaide as the opposition.