NBL Round 12 results and news: Bryce Cotton, Kendric Davis dominate as Perth, Adelaide secure big wins
Sydney has launched an incredible fourth quarter comeback to knock off Brisbane and keep its top-two hopes alive in a Sunday afternoon NBL thriller. Get the latest news and results from NBL round 12 here.
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After a crushing road loss to Sydney, the Brisbane Bullets have received mixed news on the injury front.
Josh Bannan was seen warming up in the pre-game of their 13-point defeat at the hands of the Kings, before coach Justin Schueller opted to not pull the trigger on the local big who has last played on November 17.
Brisbane’s mid-season resurgence took a hit after blowing a nine-point advantage in the fourth quarter to relegate them to seventh on the standings, but Schueller is hopeful of reinforcements coming back for the run to the post-season.
“We want everyone to be at 100 percent when they’re out there and he (Bannan) just wasn’t quite there,” Schueller said.
“I’m hopeful by the next game that we’ll have at least him back, and Deng’s not too far away either.
“Deng’s more around New Year’s, so he’s still a little bit off but progressing a lot better than initially thought on the timeline.”
While the impending return of the duo will boost the Bullets, they will be forced to look elsewhere to fill the void left by Jarred Bairstow after a devastating diagnosis.
“Unfortunately we found out he needs surgery so his season will be ended,” he said.
“We’ll figure out what we’re doing there.”
Brisbane finds itself in a logjam of teams from fifth to ninth separated by just the one win, and Schueller said it’s up to their efforts without the ball to ensure they finish in the top six.
“This is the halfway mark of our season. We hit our quarter target and now we go into this next quarter of the season,” he said.
“For us it’s understanding the lessons and the growth we’ve had as a collective and now what’s our level.
“To me it’s at the defensive end. Tonight we had a dry last quarter, but we know we can put enough points on the board against anyone in this league.”
HOW PHOENIX OVERCAME UNITED RECORD TO WIN THROWDOWN
- Lance Jenkinson
South East Melbourne Phoenix overcame a historic Melbourne United first quarter to come from behind and win what felt like the most important Throwdown of the season 109-97 at John Cain Arena on Sunday.
After giving up a massive 36 first quarter points, which equalled United’s best ever first period scoring, and trailing by as much as 15 early in the second, Phoenix showed tremendous fight to chip away and grind out a victory in unlikely fashion.
It was as close to season-at-the-crossroads as it gets for Phoenix, desperate to bounce back after Thursday night’s disappointing defeat to Brisbane, which saw them concede a massive 116 points and fall further out of touch with the top six.
But King praised the toughness that his side displayed against United, which he said “wore down” the opposition.
“I’m really proud of our team, the South East Melbourne Phoenix players, for finding a way, they got it done,” he said.
“The players kind of stuck together, it was a gut check win, so very satisfying.
“It’s tough to win in this league, every game is almost a do-or-die when you look at the ladder, or do-or-die type games, and we needed this one tonight.
“Really proud of the team effort for just sticking together, especially being down 15 and playing against a tough team that also needed a win pretty badly, that’s also kind of licking their wounds.”
Not only did Phoenix make it two out of three in Throwdowns this season and five consecutive wins at home, they reignited their playoff push, improving to 8-9.
The experience of Derrick Walton Jr, the boom recruit and veteran point guard who has had a rough run with a hamstring injury and illness, came to the fore down the stretch.
Walton Jr’s numbers weren’t eye popping and he still had some cobwebs with six turnovers, but his 14 points to go with six rebounds and seven assists came in the big moments.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say we’ve been waiting for this, hopefully this can really get him going,” King said.
“I think we all know the type of player D-Walt can be and he was terrific tonight, especially in the fourth quarter.
“I think he kind of controlled the game, he was the quarterback out there in the fourth quarter, but he was pretty good for the whole entire game.”
Phoenix combo guard Nathan Sobey had one of his best performances of the season, finishing with a well-rounded 22 points, seven assists, five rebounds, six steals and two blocks for Phoenix.
“He had some big traffic rebounds late in the game, he had a big block on [Ian] Clark late in the game, he had a big block against Cairns against [Rob] Edwards,” King said.
“He’s doing different things besides just scoring.”
Phoenix captain Jordan Hunter was the best big on the floor with 23 points and eight rebounds, while leading scorer Matt Hurt was at his efficient best with 28 points on 12-15 shooting to go with six rebounds.
United, sitting atop the ladder at the start of the weekend, slumped to a third consecutive defeat to fall to 12-7, struggling to overcome the absences of injured captain Chris Goulding and centre Marcus Lee.
Their defensive woes continued, conceding over 100 points for a third game in a row, and Vickerman is desperate to find solutions.
“The response in the first quarter, outstanding, what did we have 36 [points],” Vickerman said.
“I walked into half time, we were just playing the right way, then there became some things where we went to a switching lineup and credit to them, versus the switch, they made some triples over the top of us, a couple of consecutives ones, and punished us in the post a little bit on some mismatches.
“We rarely lose games when we share the basketball and have 25 assists, but as we’ve talked about, we’re not at a level defensively at the moment that can get us wins.
“Another 75%, or close to, they score it in the paint, so just how we’re protecting that area, we’re doing a little bit better from the three-point line than the Brisbane game, but right now we just can’t stop people in the paint.”
Shooting guard Ian Clark was strong offensively for United with 20 points, while Shea Ili worked hard with 17 points and assists, but the offensive punch of Goulding was sorely missed again.
NBL SCOREBOARD
South East Melbourne Phoenix 109 (Hurt 28 Hunter 23 Sobey 22) d Melbourne United 97 (Clark 20 Ili 17 Cameron 15)
At John Cain Arena, Melbourne.
COTTON DOMINATES AS TAIPANS STRIKE
- Gyan Reece-Rocha
Wildcats scoring machine Bryce Cotton continues his domination of the NBL, recording his fourth-straight 40-point game in a 128-92 victory against the Taipans.
The superstar guard became the first player since Andrew Gaze in 1991 to score 40+ points in four straight games.
Wildcats guard Bryce Cotton has been on an unbelievable shooting spree over the past three games averaging 49.3 points, including a historic 59 points against the Breakers (18-28 FG), 40 points (15-23 FG) against the Hawks and 49 points (14-21 FG) against the 36ers.
Early in the game, Cotton couldn’t find the basket with Taipans deploying an intense blitz, making his teammates find ways to hit the scoreboard.
Cotton had 4 points at quarter time, with Rob Edwards, Jonah Antonio and Pedro Bradshaw all rotating as the match-up with a constant secondary defender zoning across.
But the lethal shooter broke the game, jumping out to 31 points by the third quarter, before reaching the historic feat in the fourth quarter.
“Just tried to stay in the moment,” Cotton said.
“Not making (the record) bigger than what it is, it’s more important that we got the win (on the road. We’ve come a long way since the start of the season, with all the adversity we’ve had to face and we’re coming together at the right time.”
Bryce Cotton is up to 36 points… 🤯
— NBL (@NBL) December 14, 2024
He’s on track to score 40 or more points for the fourth consecutive game.
Watch live on ESPN 📺 pic.twitter.com/4NPKMAWdNm
The Taipans broke out to a strong first quarter lead (28-22), with point guard Taran Armstrong (24 points, eight assists and five rebounds) leading the way with a combination of slashing scores and baskets from range.
Detroit deadeye Rob Edwards (20 points and six rebounds) was another in rhythm early, but struggled to make the most of his opportunities from three in the second half (2-10 from three).
Wildcats guns Dylan Windler, Elijah Pepper and Keanu Pinder shared the scoring load early before Cotton caught fire in the third quarter.
The Perth side snatched the lead for the first time at the 7:32 mark in the third quarter, before dominating at the Cairns Convention to close out the contest.
Taipan’s losing streak has now stretched out to 12 and after losing three of its last four games in the final quarter, this time the contest was over at the close of the third quarter.
Perth has now won 15 of its last 17 games against the Taipans.
DAVIS, HARRELL TORCH BATTLING BREAKERS
— Jason Phelan
Adelaide 36ers snapped a four-game losing streak in emphatic fashion on Saturday, another Kendric Davis shooting masterclass and the energy of returning fan favourite Montrezl Harrell propelling the Sixers to an emphatic 17-point win against New Zealand.
The 36ers led by just two points heading into the final term at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, the venue sold out for the eighth time in a row, but accelerated away with 33-18 quarter to improve to a 7-8 record.
The result condemned the Breakers to a sixth loss in a row, dropping them to a 7-9 record.
Davis backed up his season-high 37-point return from a two-game suspension with a game-high 36 points, and nine assists, with Harrell slotting back into the starting line-up with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Parker Jackson-Cartwright led the charge for the visitors with a team-high 25 points, Matt Mooney next best with 19.
He’s back 💪
— NBL (@NBL) December 14, 2024
Watch live on ESPN 📺 pic.twitter.com/nERMYJJ0r7
MONSTA MASH
In his first match back from his much-discussed three-game suspension, all eyes were on Harrell from the outset and the Aussie Monsta was in the action early.
Harrell sank his first attempt from the floor, and drew a second foul from Jonah Bolden, just 30 seconds into the game and gave the adoring fans a little post-bucket shimmy.
The fan favourite had four points in the first and worked his way to eight at the half with seven rebounds.
He’d moved to 15 points after three quarters, including two typically energetic dunks in the third, but let himself down from the foul line where he shot 3-from-8 – including a surprise air ball – with Adelaide 12-from-22 from the stripe.
The entertainer pulled off some kind of swimming celebration after hitting the deck following his seventh basket in the final term and drained his free throw.
It was party time with under two minutes to go with the game well in hand, when Harrell found himself on his back once again after draining his 20th point, the superstar celebrating with another celebration dance.
Trez is back and dancing up a storm 🕺
— NBL (@NBL) December 14, 2024
Watch live on ESPN 📺 pic.twitter.com/OAbLSIa8FW
RAINING THREES
The game was tied at 22 apiece after the opening term, but the Sixers led by as much as 12 points in the second quarter after putting up 36 points – their highest second-term score of the season – to New Zealand’s 27.
The home side made its move on the back of some stellar three-point shooting, Adelaide draining a stunning seven triples in a row.
The 36ers had made just 2-from-7 shots from long range in the first quarter, but found their range in devastating fashion in the second, shooting 7-from-9 to be 9-from-16 at the main break to the Breakers’ 5-from-14.
Davis was responsible for three of the run of seven triples, to lead all players with 20 points at halftime, with Nick Marshall dropping three of his own from three attempts.
The home side finished 14-from-27 (51 per cent) from outside the arc to the Breakers’ 10-from-30 (33%).
What would you call this celebration from Montrezl Harrell? ðŸ˜
— NBL (@NBL) December 14, 2024
Watch live on ESPN 📺 pic.twitter.com/490QS4T8uR
DJ DOING WELL
DJ Vasiljevic missed his third game with a hamstring injury picked up in a loss to Tasmania, and he gave an encouraging update on his return during the broadcast.
“I’m a week ahead of schedule, so hopefully I’ll be back sooner rather than later,” Vasiljevic told ESPN.
“I’m not a fan of (watching), so the quicker I get back the better.”
UNITED HORROR SHOW AS HAWKS RUN HOT IN MELBOURNE
– Lance Jenkinson
It was a Friday the 13th horror show for Melbourne United, who were severely outpointed in the rebound count in a 106-93 loss to Illawarra Hawks in a one-sided top-of-the-table clash at John Cain Arena.
United sorely missed its best defensive centre Marcus Lee, a late withdrawal with a back injury, as they slumped to back-to-back regular season defeats for the first time in 739 days.
The Hawks feasted in the paint, amassing 59 rebounds to United’s 35, including a 25-14 disparity on the offensive boards.
It led to a wild margin in second chance points, with the Hawks winning that category 33-17.
United coach Dean Vickerman was dismayed by the lack of physicality from his team.
“As the game wore along, to say they’re just smashing the O-boards and just driving us under and there’s a physicality to say if you can’t do that, you’re not going to be ready for playoff basketball, you’re not going to make the playoffs if you’re not ready to stand up to that physicality and they just dominated,” he said.
“I haven’t seen us smashed by 25 on the boards, give up 25 O-boards, you can’t even get close to winning the game.
“I think we’re probably fortunate enough for it to be a 13-point margin.
“It probably felt like a 30-point margin for me.”
Hawks centre Sam Froling grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck after half time.
Froling, who finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds, became the focal point, scoring 12 points in the third quarter alone, as the Hawks turned a one-point halftime deficit into an 11-point three quarter time lead.
Hawks’ best offensive weapon Tyler Harvey then ran amok, finishing with 31 points, including three threes, seven rebounds and four assists.
Harvey’s ball handling was crucial when Trey Kell was grounded with a back concern in the third quarter, but Kell would re-emerge to finish the game.
HOODOO OVER
The Hawks won for just a second time in their past nine visits to John Cain Arena.
It was a win that saw them leapfrog United into first place.
United has a lot to work on ahead of their local derby with South East Melbourne Phoenix on Sunday.
It will be two desperate teams going into that Throwdown after the Phoenix lost touch with the top six following Thursday night’s loss to Brisbane.
United made a promising start against Illawarra, with veteran centre Rob Loe kickstarting United with two consecutive threes.
United was immediately on the offensive, opening up an early 8-2 lead, all scoring courtesy of Loe.
Demonstrating his ability to stretch the floor, Loe checked out for the first time with three triples.
HAWKS SWOOP
The tenacity of the Hawks though was on show after their slow start as they hunted the boards with ferocity.
Their 27-24 quarter time lead was due to their willingness to get their hands dirty with seven offensive rebounds — the same amount of total rebounds United had in the first, while the impact of Darius Days and Hyunjung Lee off the bench showcased the Hawks depth.
After a Jack White alley-oop tip-in had United fans off their feet, the second quarter began to look like a demolition derby.
The teams got a little chippy with one another and both sides were honing in on referee calls.
The 50-50 balls meant a little more.
The Hawks opened up a handy seven-point advantage, demonstrating their array of attacking options, but consecutive threes to Tanner Krebs and Ian Clark ensured the back and forth contest would continue.
KELL FELLED
There was a scary moment for Kell, who got his foot caught up with teammate Lachie Olbrich, after Olbrich was shoved from behind by Akech Aliir, and he stayed on the floor holding his ankle.
Kell was limping a second time moments later when he got flattened in a White screen, prompting an angry response from Hawks coach Justin Tatum, who picked up a technical foul after what he felt was a swinging arm from ball handler Matthew Dellavedova.
Kell sat out the third with a back brace, but returned to play in the fourth.
Despite trailing the rebound count 29-13, United somehow took a slender 47-46 lead into half time.
SAM CALLS GAME
The Hawks got Froling involved in the third as they exploited a United defence bereft of their best defensive centre.
The visitors could sniff a rare win in Melbourne when they took a double-digit lead in the third.
Froling and Harvey cooked up something tasty for the Hawks in the second half as the Hawks domination continued.
Dellavedova showed his frustration by getting physical with Darius Days, prompting Days’ teammate Wani Swaka Lo Buluk to push Dellavedova over, but it was the only fight United showed in the fourth as fans streamed out early.
United suffered its fifth loss this season on its home court.
BULLETS FORCE WAY INTO NBL PLAYOFF PICTURE WITH COMEBACK WIN
—Nick Tucker
The Brisbane Bullets have catapulted into the playoff picture following Thursday night’s scintillating 15-point, 116-108 comeback victory over the South East Melbourne Phoenix.
Brisbane trailed 63-48 early in the third quarter before going on a mammoth 55-28 run to flip the game on its head and lead 103-91 approaching the final five minutes at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
On one end the energetic Bullets quelled the efficiency of former Bullet Nathan Sobey (3TO, -20 plus-minus) and on the other end went out all guns blazing to bring up their third successive win, snapping a two-game Phoenix winning streak in the process.
After posting their second ever largest score, 122, against United in round 11, Brisbane weathered an early storm and maintained the rage in a high-scoring affair that proved there is reason to believe a playoff berth can ensue.
Casey Prather (16 pts) extended his purple patch of form, as did Tyrell Harrison (23pts, 11rbs). Meanwhile, electric import duo James Batemon (16pts) and Keandre Cook (33pts, 4rbs, 4ast, 2stl, 1blk) solidified themselves as fan favourites.
Phoenix forward Matt Hurt (27 pts, 11-14 shooting) was a standout for the visitors, as was the lightning fast Owen Foxwell (20pts, 5ast). It wasn’t enough to stave off a Bullets outfit firing on all cylinders in the second half.
SOBEY SERVES UP STORM IN FIRST QUARTER
In his return to Brisbane, former Bullet and Boomer Nathan Sobey let rip in the opening stages on his way to scoring nine of his team’s first 19 points.
His exit out of Brisbane was ugly but before the game he was welcomed with a cheer from the crowd when his return was acknowledged by announcer Adam Galle.
He torched quickly before Brisbane coach Justin Schueller called his first time-out but it was the three point prowess of Angus Glover, the post moves of Matt Hurt and decisiveness of Owen Foxwell that brought about Phoenix’s biggest lead of the first half, 11 points.
The visitors led 34-23 before shifty guard Keandre Cook and dominant centre Tyrell Harrison turned the tide to have the Bullets within four, 43-39, with just under four minutes to play in the second quarter.
Hurt had other ideas entering the third.
BRISBANE IN THE HURT LOCKER
Duke Blue Devils product Matt Hurt had Brisbane in the hurt locker in the first half.
The 24-year-old was on a tear, a class above his rivals with his offensive rebounding inflicting pain when Brisbane attempted to claw back.
He had 19 points at half and all his buckets just came effortlessly. He was perfect from the field, 9-9, and reeled in three offensive rebounds to prevent Brisbane from establishing themselves on their home court. He was faultless.
The bouncy Malique Lewis assisted the cerebral Hurt in keeping Brisbane’s primary scorers at bay at first, before the home side exploded back into the game to finish with a bang.
Lewis had an impressive plus-minus of 21 at the main break with a jaw dropping rejection the highlight in his infectious 13 minute cameo off the bench.
FORM OF HIS LIFE
Tyrell Harrison, the form player of the Bullets right now, continued his assassination on the league with another monster effort that kept Brisbane in touch.
In the Bullets last two games, Harrison has stuffed the stat sheet. He recorded 25 points and six rebounds in a drought-breaking win over Melbourne United and put up 19 points and 18 rebounds the game prior in a win over the 36ers.
He was a man on a mission again with his interior footwork, long strides and soft touch creating a cocktail for success down low.
The Logan City big man finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds and was the catalyst when his teammates struggled from the field.
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