Shock road loss to Townsville sparked Adelaide 36ers’ current NBL win streak

ADELAIDE’s capitulation in Townsville last month has acted as the spur for its current three-win NBL streak.

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ADAM Gibson’s biggest blunder as Adelaide 36ers captain has helped focus his NBL season according to Sixers coach Joey Wright.

And since the skipper made his classic turnover that opened the gates for Townsville to complete a 101-100 recovery over Adelaide at The Swamp last month, the 36ers have put together a mini three-win streak that has them on the top-four doorstep.

“It certainly made him change some of the things he was doing,” Wright said of Gibson, who had appeared distracted for most of the season, culminating in that one crosscourt inbounds pass Clint Steindl picked off to set Nick Kay loose for the buzzer-beating, match-winning, emphatic dunk.

Four minutes before the turnover, Adelaide led by 15.

“We haven’t revisited it or had a conversation about it,” Wright said.

“But he’s been a little more focused since then and for that matter, our team has been a little more focused.”

It has shown, Adelaide avenging that heart-breaking loss two nights later here, then smacking away championship contenders Melbourne and New Zealand.

Their own top-four drive reignited, Adelaide can ill-afford a second lapse in concentration in Townsville.

“They play a very similar style to us,” Wright said.

“If we allow a couple of their shooters to get going, it will make for a long night.”

Wright has been pleased with a new sense of purpose permeating his sometimes unpredictable team.

Ahead of last week’s win in New Zealand, he remarked at the quiet confidence all his personnel had shown about securing that result, and at his satisfaction how the group then handled the road success.

“There wasn’t a lot of carry-on about it,” Wright said.

“The guys accepted they had done what they came to do and moved on.”

Centre Daniel Johnson and import Jerome Randle were the architects of the victory, but players as diverse as warrior forward Anthony Petrie, unsung Brendan Teys, rookies Nathan Sobey and Matt Hodgson, Gibson and Mitch Creek all had key moments.

Jerome Randle in action. Photo: Roger Wyman.

Tomorrow night will be Adelaide’s third game in 35 days.

Since beating Townsville in Adelaide on December 12, it was an 11-day break to its win over Melbourne, 16 more before last week’s win in New Zealand and now an additional eight to this Crocs fixture.

“The thing is, we didn’t lose any momentum because before the break, we didn’t have any,” 36ers assistant-coach Kevin Brooks said.

“It gave us a chance to find our identity and the mood now is very good.”

ADELAIDE 36ERS V TOWNSVILLE CRCODILES

Saturday: 7pm, The Swamp (Townsville Ent.Centre)

TV: Live on Fox Sports 503

Head-to-head: 36ers 40-31

In Townsville: Crocodiles 20-14

This season: 36ers 89 d Crocs 65 at TSA on Nov.14; Crocs 101 d 36ers 100 at Swamp on Dec.10; 36ers 76 d Crocs 66 at TSA on Dec.12

Fast Facts: Crocs have won 15 of the past 16 meetings between the two teams at The Swamp. The 36ers’ last loss before its current three-win streak was 100-101 to the Crocs in Townsville. Crocs have lost their past two games but not lost three in a row this season.

LIKELY STARTERS

36ERS: Jerome Randle

Adam Gibson

Lucas Walker

Anthony Petrie

Daniel Johnson

CROCS: Mitch Norton

Jordair Jett

Clint Steindl

Nick Kay

Omar Samhan

Originally published as Shock road loss to Townsville sparked Adelaide 36ers’ current NBL win streak