Bruton says 36ers must be wary of Snakes

Adelaide 36ers head coach CJ Bruton expects a fired up Cairns Taipans on New Year’s Eve in Far North Queensland.

The Taipans are refreshed and will be raring to go after an eight-day break and Bruton knows his side has to be switched on from the opening tip on Saturday night.

“We are about to go up to Cairns, they can put points on the board very quickly, they shoot a lot of threes, so being able to take the right shots is key,” Bruton said.

As Adelaide shoot for a fifth straight victory, Bruton has explained to his side the importance of the trip to Cairns.

“It’s pretty big, I spoke about it in the locker room,” Bruton said.

“The next game is just as important as the one past, while we can take a deep breath because we got the win.

“Going to Cairns, we have been solid on the road this year, but I remember going up to Cairns last year, and it was a debacle, I still have that taste in my mouth.

“But I’s a whole new group, so first I have to reset and not talk about back then, we need to talk about now.”

Bruton said the four-game winning streak since his ‘mini training camp’ has been a great response from his roster, but now is the time to keep pushing the envelope.

“Being able to come off wins is helpful for the mindset and we just have to continue to build on what we got,” Bruton said.

“Not having Macca (Mitch McCarron against Brisbane), bring Ian Clark in, there is a lot of moving pieces here.

“Roles have changed, Kai (Sotto) is starting now, minutes are going down, some are going up to have the explosion that we need in the long run which is coming up

“To get those wins, you need that maximum effort.”

CAIRNS TAIPANS vs ADELAIDE 36ERS 
Cairns Convention Centre, 7.30pm Saturday
LIKELY STARTERS
Taipans: Scott, Kuol, McCall, Hogg, Waardenburg
36ers: McCarron, Dech, Cleveland, Franks, Sotto
LAST TIME
ADELAIDE 36ERS 78 (Cleveland 23, Franks 15, Johnson 10) def CAIRNS TAIPANS 75 (McCall 24, Pinder 12) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre.