Anthony Drmic predicts game-sealing jump shot as Adelaide 36ers keep finals hopes alive against Illawarra Hawks
As he made his way to the bench midway through Monday night’s game against Illawarra, a frustrated Anthony Drmic muttered something to coach Joey Wright that minutes later would come true.
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As he made his way to the bench midway through Monday night’s game against Illawarra, a frustrated Anthony Drmic muttered something to coach Joey Wright that minutes later would come true.
A usually sharpshooting Drmic had 21 points on the board but was 0-5 from three-point range which is usually his bread and butter. He’d rimmed out and bounced out and the only one that had gone in was waved away after it bounced on top of the backboard before falling through the net.
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But Drmic never stopped shooting when it was his shot to take and with 32 seconds left on the clock and his team up 97-96 trying to save its season, he found himself open at the top of the arc.
Brendan Teys looked like he was driving to the basket but when he hit a roadblock he kicked it to the top and Drmic followed his instinct.
“He told me, he walked by me during the game and said ‘eventually one is going to go in’,” Wright said post-game.
“So that’s great self-belief and I told him, I said ‘aight’ and he hit it, it was a big three.”
It was the dagger that Adelaide desperately needed after Illawarra remained in the game all night thanks to Todd Blanchfield’s incredible solo performance.
Blanchfield’s 35 points included seven threes as the Hawks hit 14 from 38 – double Adelaide’s seven of 19 attempts.
The Sixers trailed Illawarra by two at halftime before turning the game in the third quarter when Wright stuck with his same five for the entire term – Drmic, Teys, Eric Griffin, Jerome Randle and Daniel Johnson.
“We wanted to reward that group, they were getting it done out there so we left them out there and wanted to reward them for the defence they did,” Wright said.
“It’s up to them, if they’re not tired and showing that by getting in passing lanes and diving on the floor and going for rebounds then we’ll try to reward that behaviour.
“They manned up big time, it was a lot from the heart, it meant a lot to them to get that win.”
The by-product of the five playing such extended minutes meant for the likes of Jack McVeigh he played only 2:21 the entire game, but he didn’t care.
“I’m just cheering them on,” McVeigh said.
“I know any given night I can go out there and score 20 and any given night Drm or Teysy can go crazy.
“My time will come, it was a great team win so I’m just trying to help wherever I can … whether that’s lifting Drm up when he’s missing shots, it’s part of being a good teammate.”
Illawarra coach Matt Flynn felt his side was the better team on the night despite what the final scoreboard said, however Wright did not agree.
“No. We won,” Wright said.
The result moved Adelaide to a 10-11 record and kept them in touch with the top four ahead of returning to their home court at the Entertainment Centre against Melbourne United this Saturday night.