Better than last time: Sixers ready for Breakers rematch

The Adelaide 36ers are firmly focussed on Friday night’s meeting with New Zealand in Auckland, despite having a huge home return on Sunday after four weeks on the road.

The Breakers beat the Sixers earlier this month in Adelaide with a huge last quarter proving the difference.

The New Zealand outfit has just had five games on the road and this will be the fourth straight away from home for Adelaide, so both teams may be a little travel weary.

The Sixers will then have to fly home and back up less than 48 hours later when they host Brisbane in what will be a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the club’s first Championship in 1986.

Adelaide 36ers Head Coach Trevor Gleeson says that will be a big moment, but his side won’t be looking any further than Friday night for now.

“You’ve just got to tick off the first one and worry about this game, Friday, New Zealand, they'll be playing,” Gleeson said at Adelaide Airport as his side departed for Auckland.

“They got us here a couple of weeks ago, so we’ll be a little bit more guarded and hopefully get that good form that we're in.”

So far the Sixers have gone 2-1 in this run of road games, beating ladder leaders Tasmania in Hobart and the second-placed Kings in Sydney before a poor first half saw them fall to South East Melbourne last weekend.

Gleeson said he’s seen improvement across those three games, since his side last played the Breakers at home.

“I think we're a better team without a question,” he explained.

“I think the last three games, we've played 10 good quarters.

“It was probably that first half against South East that we weren't good. (The) second half was good, against (Tasmania) we were good, in Sydney we were good, so we’ve just got to get that consistency.”

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With the 1986 celebrations already in full swing in Adelaide, the Sixers have been buoyed by some of those championship-winning players visiting training and then having lunch together, where a number of stories were told.

Gleeson, who grew up an Adelaide 36ers supporter in Warrnambool, says he too was keen to pick the brains of many of the club legends.

“It was great to have them at training,” he said.

“I told the guys that success leaves crumbs, you know, go and ask him what was the hardest opponent, why did they win 24 games out of 26?

“And they shared some secrets there too. You know, they had a chip on their shoulder from the year before, which is kind of a parallel from here so there was a lot of great stuff."

Gleeson added that he would have loved to have spoken with the colourful late championship-winning coach Ken Cole about his success.

“I think to tap into the history of the 36ers is great, embrace it. and use it without a question,” he said.

“We've had a few guys, past players in and we're going to create that opportunity for the guys to talk and pick their brains.

“I wish Ken Cole was still here. I'd be picking his brain and, I mean, trying to find some cowboy boots to wear out to the game too.

"But yeah, it's a rich history we want to tap into.”

Friday night’s game tips off at 5:00pm ACDT / 7:30pm in Auckland.

A few tickets still remain for Sunday’s game against the Bullets, which tips off at 4:30pm ACDT.

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