DJ Vasiljevic, Montrezl Harrell, star as 36ers claim big scalp of the Kings, and third straight win
The DJ Vasiljevic-inspired Adelaide 36ers saw off a furious second-half fightback by the Sydney Kings to score an entertaining 10-point victory and make it three wins in a row.
The DJ Vasiljevic-inspired Adelaide 36ers saw off a furious second-half fightback by the Sydney Kings on Friday night to score an entertaining 10-point victory and make it three wins in a row.
Playing in an at-times heated contest against his old side, Vasiljevic shot a game-high 26 points to stretch the Sixers’ winning run at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre to seven games.
The Kings started brightly but were hampered by injuries, with Jaylen Adams unable to take part in the second half and Xavier Cooks hampered throughout.
Despite those setbacks, Sydney was still well in the contest late until Montrezl Harrell iced the game in his trademark style, the fan favourite taking flight to stuff home an athletic two-handed jam with a minute left on the clock.
Harrell was quiet early but instrumental down the stretch, finishing with 18 points and 14 rebounds, with Kendric Davis and Isaac Humphries also double-digit scorers.
Sydney coach Brian Goorjian had to reach deep into his bench, but was unable to find a winning combination, import Cam Oliver with a team-high 16 points.
DJ GETS HOT
Adelaide ranked near the top of the league in most offensive statistics after four games, but was last in defensive rating heading into the clash with the high-scoring Kings, so a shootout was always on the cards and that’s exactly how proceedings kicked off.
Most of the action was from long range in the opening minutes, with the Sixers the league’s top-ranked three-point percentage shooting team, with both teams averaging just over 11 triples made per match.
The visitors blasted out of the blocks with an 8-0 run and were 3-from-3 from outside the arc in the early going, with the 36ers missing their first two three-point attempts in a disjointed start.
But as Vasiljevic got hot, the Kings went cold, going 0-from-5 from three-point range, with the home side charging to a four-point lead at the first break on the back of 12 points to DJ.
MEDICAL ROOM
Sydney star Adams went to the bench in the second quarter with a lower back complaint and couldn’t make it back onto the court in a major blow to the visitors.
Cooks was also subdued with just six points in the first half, with some suggestion the star skipper was battling illness.
The Kings didn’t have a double-digit scorer at the main break, Keli Leaupepe with a team-high eight points.
With Davis and Humphries warming to the task, Adelaide went on 21-9 run to lead by as much as 16 before settling for 12-point halftime lead.
But with their backs against the wall, the Kings defied the odds to fight back, Cameron Oliver stepping up with nine points in the third quarter as the visitors went on a 13-3 run to slash the margin to just six points heading into the final term.
WELLS’ BIG CALL ON HARRELL FUTURE
by Matt Logue
Adelaide 36ers coach Mike Wells has left the door open for star NBA signing Montrezl Harrell to remain at the club even when big man Jarell Martin returns from a foot injury as early as late October.
Harrell, who collected the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award in 2020, joined the Sixers in September as an injury-replacement for Martin.
The veteran power forward agreed to a short-term deal, but had scope to stay in Adelaide even when his role as an injury-replacement expired.
For Montrezl to extend his stay in Adelaide the club would need to deactivate a local player to accommodate the move.
Wells expects the former NBA mainstay to attract significant interest on the open market, but hopes he chooses to remain with the 36ers.
“He (Montrezl) is a very talented player, he has a ton of connections in the NBA and I’m sure that he is going to have a ton of different options,” Wells said about Harrell, who has averaged an impressive 16 points, 9.8 rebounds and 60 per cent shooting from the field in his four games to date.
“And hopefully his best option is the 36ers.”
Wells’ comments on Harrell come as Martin edges closer to a comeback from his foot injury.
The 36ers aren’t putting a time on it but there’s a realistic possibility the big man could be in uniform as soon as October 20 against Tasmania.
For now, coach Wells is focused on maintaining Adelaide’s winning momentum against the Sydney Kings at home on Friday night.
The 36ers head into the Kings clash full of confidence following back-to-back wins over the Phoenix and Illawarra.
Wells credits Adelaide’s turnaround after two losses to open NBL25 to a greater focus on the defensive end.
And while the 36ers are far from the finished product, the coach is taking confidence from his team’s renewed intensity in defence.
“I think we can be a very good defensive team,” he said.
“We’re a young group and we are still figuring dynamics out. Our defence has allowed us to hang in games against South East Melbourne and Illawarra.
“I thought our defensive commitment and attention to detail was better.”
The Adelaide 36ers came into round 3 under-fire after a 0-2 start.
— CODE Basketball (@codebballau) October 6, 2024
But after an emphatic response they leave the weekend with two wins and their season back on track.
Crosscourt âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/6KslhGE8kkpic.twitter.com/Mzk6LKx66N
Adelaide’s appetite to defend must be dialled in against an offensively potent Sydney side in Friday’s blockbuster.
The Kings possess scoring threats across the court through the likes of Xavier Cooks, Jaylen Adams and Alex Toohey.
Wells is fully aware of the challenge awaiting his charges against Sydney, but stressed they are a different side to the one that lost by eight points to the Kings in the opening round.
“We have a ton of respect for them (Sydney). Who they are, the talent they have, the coaching staff and the whole organisation,” he said.
“We’ve obviously grown a little bit and we’re in a different spot compared to where we were a few weeks ago, but so are they.
“We’ll just try and put our game plan together, compete and see where we are at.
“They (Sydney) have a lot of offensive weapons that you have to be dialled in on and they’ve got some bigs who can shoot the ball and space the floor.
“Then Adams and Cooks at the rim, so there are a bunch of different dynamics there.”
On the plus side for Adelaide, import guard Kendric Davis has discovered his finest form after having his long-term future in the league questioned.
Doubts were raised if Davis’ play at both ends was conducive to winning in the NBL.
The Texas-born talent took umbrage to the comments, fuelling him to drop 21 and 32 points in Adelaide’s past two wins.
According to Wells, the secret to Davis’ success has been simple.
“His attention and overall competitiveness and physicality on the ball has changed,” he said.
“I think he has played both sides of the ball really well. You can just feel his presence in a lot of different ways with this team.
“Whether it is offensively getting the ball down the floor and defensively his presence on the ball has been much different than the first few games.
“There was probably a learning curve. An import coming over and learning the NBL.
“You know, guys know how to play in this league and there is a lot of experience.”
NBL FRIDAY NIGHT
More Coverage
ADELAIDE 36ERS VS SYDNEY KINGS
Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Tip-off at 7.30pm (AEDT)
Originally published as DJ Vasiljevic, Montrezl Harrell, star as 36ers claim big scalp of the Kings, and third straight win
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