Faith sparks Cleveland's final quarter show

Antonius Cleveland had the belief he could knock the shots down and deliver when it mattered most.

That’s exactly what the 196cm swingman did the final quarter of Monday night’s 93-82 win against Tasmania JackJumpers at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

Cleveland scored 12 of his game-high 20 points in the final 10 minutes of play, including three huge three-pointers which brought the crowd of 7010 to their feet.

In one play phase, Cleveland rebounded his own three-point miss to calm connect on the following shot as Adelaide fought back from a six-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

“I was open, so I just shot again, you can’t be afraid to take shots,” Cleveland said.

“I just wanted to shoot it again, I kind of knew I was going to make it the second time.

“I just wanted to keep being aggressive, an open shot is a good shot.”

Cleveland, who also had a game-high 10 rebounds, had nothing but praise for Nick Marshall, who along with Hyrum Harris, sparked a third quarter run which got Adelaide back into the contest.

“We just stayed together, guys off the bench stepped up, Nick Marshall was huge, I think he got momentum going for us and we kind of ran with it,” Cleveland said.

“Tassie came back and punched us, like we know they would, but we just punched them back and finished the game out.”

The reigning NBL Defensive Player of the Year said a new plan to stop the JackJumpers played a pivotal role in Adelaide’s triumph.

“I think switching down the stretch threw a different look at Tassie,” he said.

“I don’t think they were prepared for, which kept us up and aggressive, up tempo and playing off of the crowd, getting stops.”

Adelaide will be back on Brett Maher Court for a Christmas Eve blockbuster against South East Melbourne Phoenix on Saturday night from 5pm.