Match wrap: Phoenix prove too strong for Sixers

The race for the top two positions on the Hungry Jack's NBL ladder continues to fascinate with South East Melbourne closing the gap on the Adelaide 36ers, winning 97-77 on Saturday evening.

After beating the 36ers to wrap up in HoopsFest in Perth 13 days ago, the Phoenix backed it up in front of a record 10,047 fans at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre with another commanding showing.

The Sixers were playing at home for the first time since losing to the Tasmania JackJumpers back on January 9 but could never get going on the back of a dramatic win on the Gold Coast over Brisbane back on Wednesday night.

The Phoenix had 21 offensive rebounds in the first half and 23 for the game which helped them dominate the possession game with 19 extra shot attempts than Adelaide and six more free throws.

It's a big result in the context of the season with South East Melbourne back in second spot at 20-9 just behind the now 21-8 36ers and ahead of the 19-9 Sydney Kings.

South East Melbourne ended up having six players score in double figures despite shooting just 39 per cent with Nathan Sobey only going 4/18 from the field but 8/9 at the foul line for 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals.

Owen Foxwell also had 16 points and five assists, Jordan Hunter 13 points and 10 rebounds, Ian Clark 12 points, four boards, three assists and three steals, and Malique Lewis 11 points.

But the biggest difference was the manic work of John Brown III who finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and five assists with nine of his boards at the offensive end.

Bryce Cotton top-scored for Adelaide with 26 points, albeit on a ragged 7/21 clip from the field to go with six assists.

Flynn Cameron added 21 points, three rebounds and two assists with Zylan Cheatham contributing 13 points and 14 rebounds but new import John Jenkins had just seven points on 3/11 shooting.

The Sixers were forced to go small as well without the suspended Nick Rakocevic and Isaac Humphries battling a sore knee and only playing 16 minutes.

After the scores were 18-all at quarter-time, South East Melbourne took control in a second quarter which they won 30-22 to move ahead 48-40 at half-time.

The Phoenix shot just 15/50 in the first half, including 3/18 from three-point range - but their huge 35-20 advantage in rebounds was pivotal.

That figure included a whopping 21-5 edge in offensive boards, a completely unacceptable discrepancy as far as the 36ers were concerned.

Brown III and Hunter had 17 rebounds between them, including a combined 11 offensively.

Only Cameron, with 16 points on 6/7 shooting and 4/5 from deep, offered Adelaide anything in the first half.

Turnovers plagued the Sixers in the third term, with Sobey's steal and slam off a Cotton cough-up blowing the margin out to 18 points.

The 36ers closed the gap to 71-56 at three quarter-time, then to nine points when Cotton knocked down three free throws, but that was as close as they came.

Triples to Hunter, Sobey and Clark warded off any prospect of a fightback, as South East Melbourne got rolling again in the closing stages.

The Phoenix now stay on the road to play the New Zealand Breakers on Thursday while the 36ers are in action later that same night away to the Illawarra Hawks.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26

ADELAIDE 36ERS 77 (Cotton 26, Cameron 21, Cheatham 13)

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 97 (Sobey 19, Foxwell 16, Brown III 14)

BOX SCORE