Match wrap: Sixers win big on Christmas Eve

The Adelaide 36ers continue to firm as the team to beat in NBL26 as they wore down the Cairns Taipans on the way to the 93-73 Christmas Eve home victory which also strengthened their Ignite Cup by Disney+ push.

In front of 10,006 fans on Christmas Eve - the 32nd consecutive sellout at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre - the Sixers swept all seven points on offer to also bolster their Ignite Cup hopes with the 20-point win over the last placed Taipans.

Last time the two teams met in Adelaide back on November 16 it was a dramatic overtime thriller and this time around, Cairns did stick with the Sixers for the first half before the league-leaders pulled away the longer it went.

Bryce Cotton was made to work for his 22 points largely guarded by Taipans rookie Mawot Magot and the five-time MVP only shot 6/23 from the field, but went 8/8 at the stripe and had another 11 assists with six rebounds and three steals.

Nick Rakocevic, playing his second game back after a one-match suspension, was instrumental in Adelaide asserting themselves inside and finished with six offensive rebounds and 13 boards overall to go with 19 points on 8/12 field goal shooting.

DJ Vasiljevic went 3/7 from deep for 15 points with Isaac Humphries adding nine points and three blocks, Isaac White eight points and four assists, and Flynn Cameron seven points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.

The Taipans fought hard but ultimately just didn’t shoot well going 40 per cent from the field and 10/33 from deep, and even 11/19 at the foul line.

Jack McVeigh had a tough night back where he started his NBL career with nine points on 4/14 shooting without a free-throw attempts while Sam Waardenburg top-scored with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Andrew Andrews contributed 15 points, six assists and five rebounds, and Mag seven points and five boards in his 24 minutes of chasing around Cotton.

Waardenburg was prolific early as Cairns raced ahead 8-2 before Adelaide's reserves subbed in and restored order.

Unsung Matt Kenyon and Rakocevic piloted an 11-0 rush to help the 36ers to a 23-21 quarter-time lead.

The Sixers' second unit continued to thrive in the second period, White's perimeter shooting and Rakocevic's offensive rebounding pushing the home side's lead to 46-33.

The Taipans responded with a 9-2 burst before the lively Rakocevic's tip-in on the half-time horn put Adelaide in front 50-42.

Andrews and Waardenburg got off the chain early in the third to have Cairns sniffing a Yuletide miracle, the gap slashed to 57-54.

That was as close as they got.

The 36ers finished the term strongly, highlighted by Rakocevic's thunderous dunk on Kyrin Galloway, to pull clear 73-61 at the final break before dominating the final period 20-12.

The 36ers will now look forward to another chapter in their fascinating battles this season with the Perth Wildcats when they host Cotton's former team on Sunday while the Snakes are back home for their annual New Year's Eve clash with the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26 – IGNITE CUP PRESENTED BY DISNEY+

ADELAIDE 36ERS 93 (Cotton 22, Rakocevic 19, Vasiljevic 15)

CAIRNS TAIPANS 73 (Waardenburg 19, Andrews 15, McVeigh 9)

BOX SCORE