Match wrap: Sixers too much for Bullets in Adelaide

The Adelaide 36ers have the chance to end the week on top of the NBL after dominating the Brisbane Bullets 90-65 at home on Friday night less than 48 before Bryce Cotton's hotly anticipated return to Perth on Sunday.

After a relatively even opening quarter, the second-ranked 36ers resumed their season following the FIBA break by crushing the hapless Bullets 27-13 and 27-12 across the middle two terms at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Friday night.

That saw the 36ers end up leading by as much as 35 points on the way to the eventual 25-point triumph to give them five consecutive wins to be right on the heels of the 13-3 Melbourne United with their record improving to 12-3.

The Bullets did take 15 extra shots than the 36ers but the home team shot at 48 per cent from the field to Brisbane's 33 while the big difference came at the foul line with Adelaide going 23/28 to just 6/9 from the visitors.

Ahead of his return to Perth on Sunday, five-time MVP Cotton had 18 of his 20 points in the game to half-time and finished off shooting 6/10 from the field, 7/7 from the foul line and also had six assists.

Zylan Cheatham also ended up with 20 points, six rebounds and four rebounds for the Sixers, Isaac Humphries 16 points, five boards and two blocked shots, and Isaac White 10 points, four rebounds and three assists.

It wasn’t the return to action the Bullets were after with four of their players away on national duties over the FIBA break – Tohi Smith-Milner, Tyrell Harrison and Taine Murray with the Tall Blacks, and Alex Ducas with the Boomers.

They did welcome new import Terry Taylor but were without the unwell Javon Freeman-Liberty with Dakota Mathias top-scoring with 14 points, three rebounds and two assists on 4/11 three-point shooting.

Tristan Devers also had 12 points and four assists, Ducas 12 points and three rebounds, and Harrison 11 points and 10 boards.

Brisbane welcomed back Sam McDaniel, who started and assumed Cotton duties, in his first outing since Round 2 following an ankle injury.

The Sixers led 23-20 at the end of a tight opening quarter before assuming complete control.

Cotton, kept in check by McDaniel early, got off the chain with a 13-point second term.

Cotton followed a lob pass to Cheatham for a spectacular alley-oop dunk with a lay-up, a pair of pull-up jumpers and a three.

Adelaide stormed to a 50-33 half-time lead, which they extended to 55-33 on a Cheatham triple, the 36ers on a 16-2 tear either side of the long break.

The one-way carnage continued in the third period, Cheatham taking the lead role from Cotton and blowing Adelaide's advantage out to 77-45 at three quarter-time as the Bullets' shooting horrors continuing.

The margin ballooned to 83-48 in the fourth before both teams emptied their benches.

The 36ers now turn their attention to what is likely the most anticipated game of the season so far on Sunday when Cotton returns to RAC Arena for the first time to take on the Perth Wildcats on his old home floor.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26

ADELAIDE 36ERS 90 (Cotton 20, Cheatham 20, Humphries 16)

BRISBANE BULLETS 65 (Mathias 14, Devers 12, Ducas 12)

BOX SCORE