PART III - Titanic battle to title win

Adelaide 36ers will celebrate the 25-year anniversary of the 1998/99 NBL championship this Saturday night at home against Melbourne United.

We sat down with 1998/99 championship captain and Larry Sengstock Medalist Brett Maher to reminisce about the pathway to back-to-back titles.

PART III - TITANIC BATTLE
Adelaide had qualified for a second straight grand final series and the fifth in the club’s history and were up against a familiar foe.

Victoria Titans had made it all the way to the championship series in the franchise’s first season.

The Titans were a merger between the South East Melbourne Magic, the team the 36ers defeated for the 1998 NBL title, and North Melbourne Giants.

Essentially, the Titans were the 1998 Magic roster, who were labelled one of the greatest rosters ever assembled, and now included natualised American imports Daryl McDonald and Paul Maley, who came from the Giants.

“Winning the year before gave us a lot of confidence going into a grand final series against them, having that home court advantage,” Maher said.

“To win game one over there, was huge.”

Adelaide went to Melbourne Park and shot the lights out, the 36ers connecting on 16 three-pointers in a 104-94 game one win.

Maher had six triples in his game-high 31 points, Mee connected on five for 25 points to go with six rebounds and six assists and Adelaide were one win away from back-to-back championships.

“To come back here and lose game two, that really put a shiver up us, because they beat the living hell out of us and really wore us down,” Maher said.

READ MORE

• Mee happy to be 'home' in Adelaide
• Club legends thrilled with '99 jersey
• HISTORY REPEATS - Part I - Summer Vibes
• HISTORY REPEATS - Part II - Playoff campaign begins with sweep

The Titans wore Adelaide down in the second game, winning 88-82 in a tough, dour battle which suited Victoria’s game plan of limiting the transition game from the 36ers.

Adelaide’s only victory in game two came at half-time, when starting centre Paul Rees clashed with Titans head coach Brian Goorjian and mid-court.

“That is an absolute classic and I have listened to both sides of the story numerous times from Paul Rees and Brian Goorjian,” Maher said.

“It’s one of the funniest stories and it’s given us quite a few laughs over the years.”

Adelaide had to regroup for the deciding match and Maher said the group responded well after the game two defeat.

“We knew had some things to work on and we need to get the game style to come back in our favour,” Maher said.

“They had slowed us right down and we needed to go back to our run and gun style, and we did that for most part of it.”

The Titans again successfully slowed the game down, but the 36ers defense went to another level, Adelaide reducing Victoria to just 32 points in the opening half to take control of the contest.

Adelaide held a seven-point lead with one quarter to go and powered home, the 36ers had answers to every Titan challenge, to win 80-69 and claim back-to-back championship wins.

“To reminisce and look back at that game and the way the crowd was, to win it at home, it’s special to win a grand final series at home,” Maher said.

“It’s right up there, playing against a Brian Goorjian team, it’s a great rivalry.

“The crowd at that stage was huge, very loud and was a big part in getting us over the line, not only in the grand final, but the semi-final series.”

CHECK BACK ON THURSDAY FOR PART IV - TITLE TOWN