Giddey's triple-double highlights Sixers' night in Tasmania

The result didn’t go the way the Adelaide 36ers were hoping in Launceston on Monday night but Josh Giddey did make history recording a triple-double while the signs were encouraging with Isaac Humphries return.

The 36ers couldn’t quite put together the performance they were hoping at Launceston's Silverdome on Monday night to close Round 15 of the NBL with the Breakers coming away with the eventual 93-77 victory.

That will be a disappointing result for the Sixers to reflect upon but it wasn’t a night without some positives with Josh Giddey becoming the youngest Australian player to ever record a triple-double in the NBL.

Giddey has been threatening a triple-double all season with the 36ers and he broke through to achieve that on Monday night in Tasmania finishing the evening with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He shot well too going 5/6 from the field.

Daniel Johnson fought hard again for Adelaide with 20 points while the signs were more than encouraging that Isaac Humphries will quickly get back to his early season form on return from a foot injury.

In just his second game back after sitting out 11 with that complaint, he showed good signs with 14 points and two rebounds on 6/9 shooting and getting through almost 21 minutes of court time.

Tony Crocker also had 13 points on 3/5 three-point shooting while Brandon Paul added seven points, eight rebounds and three assists, Jack McVeigh five points and five boards, Keanu Pinder four points and three rebounds, and Sunday Dech two points, six boards and four assists.

Adelaide coach Conner Henry was happy that his team was able to take better care of the ball in the second half, but not with the fact they couldn’t take advantage of it and the game got away from them in the second half.

"I think it was a tale of two scenarios. In the first half they had 16 points in transition off nine of our turnovers, and we were better with that in the second half," Henry said. 

"But in the third quarter we had five or six pretty good looks at the rim, and some nice looking jumpers and couldn’t finish. 

"That led to some defensive breakdowns and then the next thing you know they've got a lead, I burn a timeout, get a technical and the game gets away from us. 

"We weren’t able to execute like we were in the first half on the offensive end even though we took care of the ball better, and it was a tale of two halves."

The Breakers were coming off losing at the death on the same floor to the Taipans just three days ago and were determined to atone, and showed that early on racing to a 16-6 lead in the opening four and-a-half minutes.

New Zealand took advantage of Adelaide's four opening quarter turnovers to score nine points from those and shot 64 per cent from the field to head into quarter-time leading 25-19.

The 36ers made their best run of the game early in the second quarter starting with some buckets from Isaac Humphries and Jack McVeigh before Josh Giddey scored himself and created for his teammates to bring them back within a point when Tony Crocker knocked down a triple.

New Zealand was able to settle, though, starting with three balls from Corey Webster and Finn Delany. Webster nailed another just before half-time but Adelaide kept things close closing the half with a 7-3 run to cut the Breakers lead to 47-43.

But again the Breakers took advantage of Adelaide's nine turnovers for 16 second chance points at the half before Delany blew the game wide open to open the third quarter with 10 points in the space of five minutes.

Delany would go on to have 23 points to three quarter-time with his team up 12 heading into the fourth, and then it was all over as a contest to start the fourth term when New Zealand scored the first seven points to suddenly lead by 19, and go on to win by 16.

The Sixers head back home to host the Brisbane Bullets on Saturday night in their first home game at Adelaide Entertainment Centre since beating the Perth Wildcats back on April 10.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 15

ADELAIDE 36ERS 77 (Johnson 20, Humphries 14, Crocker 13) 

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 93 (Delany 23, Abercrombie 19, Webster 15, Randolph 15)

BOX SCORE