The 36ers’ perfect 10
The Adelaide 36ers arrive at the 2015 National Basketball League finals series in a rich vein of form, having won 10 consecutive games to complete the minor round.
They are now primed for a first title since 2001-02.
They continued the winning streak and made it nine on the trot on Friday night at Adelaide Arena, pushing aside Perth Wildcats by seven points, 101-94 to claim the Cattalini Cup, an annual award for the Adelaide-Perth contests.
That win elevated Adelaide into third position on the NBL ladder and this was confirmed with a commanding 105-85 away performance against the Wollongong Hawks at the Entertainment Centre on Sunday.
They have turned a negative 7-11 game season around with an all-round team effort to enter the finals as the form team of the competition.
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“We get it done, not always pretty ways but we always get it done,” Sixers coach Joey Wright said after the game.
“We’re making plays when we need to make plays and we have input from everywhere.
“This is a much better team than last year, not even close. This team would beat that team by 20 points.
“The things we do offensively and defensively, this team is much better than we were last year.”
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NBL MVP favourite Adelaide’s Jamar Wilson is also impressed with the talent in his side, explaining that the 36ers have so many weapons.
“From one to 10 (players), we have so much talent on this team it’s unbelievable,” Wilson continued.
“This has probably been my first season as a professional player where a coach like Joey can’t look at our team and say well we can’t run this play for this person because he can’t do it.”
Mitch Creek was the 36ers leading point-scorer on Sunday with 24 points, while the effervescent offensive genius of Wilson added 20 points.
In the Friday night game Creek (20 points), Wilson (29) and MVP for the game, Brock Motum (25), were all potent offensively.
Adelaide complete in a semi-final series with the New Zealand Breakers beginning on Thursday.
The second game is at the Adelaide Arena on February 28, and a third, if required the following Monday.
On top of their four championships crowns, in 1986, 1998, 1998–99 and 2001–02, the 36ers also reached the grand final in 1985, 1994 and 2013–14.
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