Harry Froling gets back to basics and produces season-best game in Adelaide 36ers win over the South East Melbourne Phoenix
It took just one quarter for Harry Froling to turn things around on Friday night after some sound advice from Adelaide 36ers coach Joey Wright during the week.
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“If Harry wants it, it’s his,” is how Adelaide 36ers coach Joey Wright closed his press conference last week after his team’s 22-point loss to Melbourne United.
It was in response to a question from a reporter asking ‘what’s up with Harry?’, Adelaide’s reigning NBL rookie of the year Harry Froling who had just gone scoreless and recorded one rebound in 11 minutes of court time.
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In 13 games this season, Froling had barely scratched the surface of the ability that had him workout with NBA teams in the off-season and deliver a knockout punch off the bench for the 36ers.
He was distracted, Wright said, but once he regained his focus then things would turn but only if he wanted them to. On Friday night, just six days later, they did.
After a subdued start when he had five points and two rebounds to half-time, Froling caught fire in the third quarter with two triples in his 14 points and some heavy lifting in the paint to give him 19 points in Adelaide’s 113-111 win over South East Melbourne.
“We’ve been talking to Harry all week about just being Harry, just being big, just being strong and doing what he does and he came and did that tonight,” Wright said.
“He’s not trying to replicate a player or be this or be that, just be Harry. He was strong around that rim.
“He’s a pretty strong fella so he used his body and got us some big o-boards.
“I think that’s about him focusing on being the best player he can be on that night, instead of being a three-point shooter or a guy who can throw a lookaway pass, just play basketball.
“And if he does that with focus and energy, good things are going to happen because he has a good skill set and Harry can be as good as he wants to be.”
Former MVP Mitch Creek had the chance to send the game to overtime but his shot rimmed out on the buzzer as the Sixers held on and replaced the Phoenix in the top four.
“I don’t think it was luck, the guys made their luck, we made some good plays down the stretch but could have folded up when they hit three or four threes in a row,” Wright said.
“But our guys went back down the other end, Jerome (Randle) and DJ (Johnson) made some great plays and E (Eric Griffin) attacking that rim and getting those o-boards is big.”
The 36ers flew to New Zealand on Saturday morning ahead of their game against the Breakers on Sunday.
They are then back home against Illawarra on Friday night and Wright said he feels like his team is in the mix for finals heading towards Christmas.
“Definitely, we’ve only been blown out a couple of games and that’s part of playing basketball as well. We’re in the top four now and that doesn’t mean anything because you want to be in the top four at the end of the year but we’re there competing,” he said.
reece.homfray@news.com.au
Originally published as Harry Froling gets back to basics and produces season-best game in Adelaide 36ers win over the South East Melbourne Phoenix