Match wrap: Adelaide wins Game Four epic
1 Apr
1
min read


The Adelaide 36ers have held on in another wild finish at home with Torrey Craig missing a clutch free-throw to send the NBL Championship Series to a Game 5 with the 92-91 win over the Sydney Kings.
The Kings arrived at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Wednesday night for Game 4 with the chance to secure a championship, and were up seven by half-time after late first half three balls from Tim Soares and Kendric Davis.
Sydney were then also up nine late in the third but the 36ers responded with an 18-5 run either side of three quarter-time.
Davis did hit a couple of clutch three balls and free throws in the final five minutes for Sydney, but the 36ers were back up two with a minute to play when Bryce Cotton knocked down a pair of foul shots.
The Kings had the last possession down two and Craig was fouled with 2.8 seconds left. He managed to make just one which saw the Sixers hold on to win by one and set up the deciding Game 5 in Sydney on Sunday.
Zylan Cheatham was aggressive from the outset and was brilliant in the win for Adelaide with 23 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and two steals on 10/17 shooting.
DJ Vasiljevic also stepped up for 19 points with 4/13 three-point shooting while Cotton finished with 19 points and 12 assists while being made to earn it all across 40 minutes again by Matthew Dellavedova.
Flynn Cameron added 11 points and three rebounds, and Isaac Humphries 10 points and 10 boards.
Davis finished with another 22 points and 10 assists with 4/9 three-point shooting for the Kings with Jaylin Galloway knocking down 5/9 from deep for 20 points.
Xavier Cooks also had 16 points, three rebounds and three blocks, Makuach Maluach 11 points and three boards, and Tim Soares 10, nine boards, four assists and four blocks.
It was a perfect start at home from Adelaide with Zylan Cheatham, DJ Vasiljevic and Bryce Cotton helping them to the 7-3 lead but a couple of triples from Jaylin Galloway, and then nine straight points from the Kings saw the visitors on top 12-7.
Adelaide had cut Sydney's lead to 24-22 by quarter-time before Cheatham opened the second frame with a triple to beat the shot clock and the Sixers were back in front and shortly out to a six-point lead.
The Kings fired back once more and that included Galloway continuing his hot shooting performance.
Galloway then made a fourth three of the half to kickstart an 11-1 going into half-time for the Kings including three balls from Tim Soares and Kendric Davis.
That saw Sydney on top 53-46 at the half with 64 per cent shooting to 45 including 7/14 from deep to 4/13, and the Kings had opened up a nine-point edge heading towards three quarter-time.
Adelaide hit the next eight points and it was just a two-point ball game heading into the fourth before the Sixers got going again with an 8-2 run in the first three minutes to be up four.
Sydney answered with the next four points and then the lead continued to exchange hands. Davis quietened the Adelaide crowd twice with massive three-pointers, the last of which with 3:15 with the Kings up two.
Cheatham answered with the next two buckets for the 36ers, Davis then made two at the line and then so did Cotton before the Kings had one last chance down two after collecting a defensive rebounds.
Matthew Dellavedova found Torrey Craig who was fouled on the drive by Cameron with 2.8 seconds to go. He made one and Adelaide held on to win by one in another wild finish on their home floor.
Game 5 will be back at Qudos Bank Arena on Easter Sunday where the NBL26 championship will be decided.
HUNGRY JACK'S NBL26 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – GAME 4
ADELAIDE 36ERS 92 (Cheatham 23, Cotton 19, Vasiljevic 19)
SYDNEY KINGS 91 (Davis 22, Galloway 20, Cooks 16)
Best-of-five series is tied at 2-2

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