Match wrap: Sixers complete job to reach Championship Series

Bryce Cotton and DJ Vasiljevic combined for 65 points, the Adelaide 36ers outshot and outrebounded the South East Melbourne Phoenix and booked their place in the NBL Championship Series in memory of Ken Cole with the 108-96 Game 3 win.

It was the first game for the 36ers since the passing of their 1986 championship winning coach, Cole, but even when they opened up a 20-point lead after a run of three balls to start the second quarter from Cotton and Vasiljevic, they couldn’t rest easy.

The Phoenix came back from 18 points down in Game 2 and there was still life in Game 3 at a sold out Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

NBL and NBA champion Ian Clark did what he could to keep the Phoenix close with 32 points on 5/7 three-point shooting, but didn’t have enough teammates along for the ride and the 36ers had everything on their terms.

The Sixers shot 57 per cent from the field to 43 from the Phoenix while significantly going 23/31 to 11/13 at the foul line, and pulling down 52 rebounds to 31 including 15 to 13 at the offensive end.

Adelaide advance to a first Championship Series since 2018 against the Sydney Kings setting up a mouth watering match up with their star of last season, Kendric Davis.

Vasiljevic returned to the starting group for Adelaide and delivered 27 points and four assists on 6/10 three-point shooting with six-time MVP Cotton delivering 38 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Big men pair Nick Rakocevic (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Isaac Humphries (13 points, four assists, three rebounds, two blocks) had a significant impact with Zylan Cheatham adding seven points, 13 rebounds and five assists.

It was a tough offensive night for everyone at the Phoenix bar Clark with Nathan Sobey coming off a career night for 17 points and eight assists on 6/18 shooting.

Jordan Hunter ended up with 10 points, three rebounds and two blocks, John Brown III nine points, 10 rebounds, five steals and four assists, and Wes Iwundu nine points and three assists.

Once again it was Adelaide with the best of the start opening up a 7-2 lead with DJ Vasiljevic having knocked down a three ball after returning to the starting line-up.

The Sixers were then in control the rest of the opening term and by the end of it were shooting 63 per cent to just the 35 from the Phoenix while pulling down 16 rebounds to five to be leading 28-17.

The 36ers then blew the game completely open to start the second quarter with a pair of long bombs from Vasiljevic, including one from closer to halfcourt than the three-point line, and another to Bryce Cotton.

That put the home team on top by 20 and even though the Phoenix responded with the next six points and did try to work back into the game largely through 14 points in the term from Ian Clark, Adelaide remained in control.

The 36ers were leading 59-45 going into the break with 23 points from Cotton and 12 from Vasiljevic with the pair shooting a combined 6/11 from deep. As a team they were still shooting 65 per cent 49 along with pulling down 27 rebounds to nine.

Vasiljevic landed another three ball to open the second half to push Adelaide's lead back out to 17. Even though Clark threatened to single-handedly bring South East Melbourne back into the action with eight quick points, the Sixers had all the answers.

Cotton closed the third quarter with another three ball of his own for Adelaide to be up 83-64 and South East Melbourne tried to shoot themselves back into the game and DJ Mitchell had eight quick points, but it wasn’t to be with the 36ers having all the answers to win by 12.

Game 1 of the Championship Series between the 36ers and Kings will be at Qudos Bank Arena on Saturday night.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL26 FINALS – PLAYOFFS SERIES 1, GAME 3

ADELAIDE 36ERS 108 (Cotton 38, Vasiljevic 27, Rakocevic 14)

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 96 (Clark 32, Sobey 17, Hunter 10)

BOX SCORE