36ers fall to Bullets on home court

Adelaide 36ers stormed home late but it wasn’t enough in a 92-89 loss to Brisbane Bullets at the Entertainment Centre on Friday night.

In front of a 14^th straight sell out crowd of 9521 fans, the 36ers fought back from a 13-point final quarter deficit, but a Kendric Davis three-pointer on the buzzer caught iron.

Davis scored a team-high 24 points to go with 10 assists and four rebounds, Montrezl Harrell adding 20 points with 10 rebounds.

Captain DJ Vasiljevic sparked his side in the final stanza to finish with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Isaac Humphries added 14 points with six rebounds and three assists.

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Humphries opened scoring from the free throw line as the 36ers scored their first eight points of the game at the stripe.

Adelaide scored only two field goals in the opening five minutes, both from Humphries as the home side opened an early 12-10 lead.

Davis sliced his way to the basket, Vasiljevic then swished his first three-pointer before Harrell converted a three-point play, but the Bullets took a 22-21 lead into the first break.

The 183cm point guard found his way to the basket to start the second quarter, then found Vasiljevic for a jump shot before Lat Mayen gave the home side back the lead at 30-29.

Humphries continued to be a focus inside the paint, then Harrell athletically finished at the rim to tie the game away at 36-36.

Harrell scored again inside before Davis set the crowd alight with a three-pointer on the half time buzzer as the 36ers took a 45-42 lead into the main interval.

Mayen, then Harrell got to the basket to start the third quarter as the 36ers kept the Bullets scoreless for over two minutes.

Adelaide had a seven-point lead before the visitors came roaring back into the contest, going on a 19-5 run to open a 61-54 advantage.

Harrell looked to lift the home side, Davis connected on three free throws, but the Bullets took a 68-63 lead into the final 10 minutes.

The Bullets scored the first eight points of the final quarter to open up their biggest lead of the game at 76-63.

Back-to-back three-pointers from Vasiljevic then sparked the home side before another Harrell basket, then a tough drive from Vasiljevic cut the margin to 76-74.

Brisbane scored when it mattered most in crunch time, before a Harrell three-pointer gave the home crowd a grandstand finish.

Adelaide will be back in action on Sunday afternoon when the 36ers travel to John Cain Arena to battle South East Melbourne Phoenix from 4pm ACDT.

BRISBANE BULLETS  92 (Prather 26, Cook 17, Smith-Milner 14, White 13) def ADELAIDE 36ERS 89 (Davis 24, Harrell 20, Vasiljevic 20, Humphries 14) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
Crowd: 9521
BOX SCORE