Round 15 Preview v NZ Breakers

The Adelaide 36ers return to their old home on Saturday night to take on the New Zealand Breakers while celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 2002 NBL championship, but it's a win on the minds of the current team.

To celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the 2002 championship for the 36ers, which was the fourth and still last for the Sixers in the NBL, not only will the game be played at the Adelaide 36ers Arena, but special commemorative throwback jerseys will be worn by the team.

Those jerseys feature the names of the team that won the championship back in 2002. Just for a reminder, that was a squad of Brett Maher, Mark Nash, Willie Farley, David Stiff, Jacob Holmes, Rupert Sapwell, Matt Illman, Oscar Forman, Blake Truslove, Matt Garrison, Jason Williams and Paul Rees.

Phil Smyth was head coach with Steve Breheny and Scott Ninnis his assistants, and a lot of those from the playing squad and coaching staff will be on hand to celebrate those memories, and cheer on the team of today on Saturday night.

Both the 36ers and Breakers come into the game on four-game losing streak so both of them will be determined to return to the NBL winner's list.

Both teams also have had some good personnel news coming into the game. The 36ers will welcome back head coach CJ Bruton along with star big man Cam Bairstow while Kai Sotto has also been given the all clear to play.

That's the good news for the Sixers. The Breakers, though, have had good news with Yanni Wetzell, Will McDowell-White and Hugo Besson all given the all clear to make their returns and play.

Last time the teams played it was at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre was way back on December 12 with the Sixers eventually winning 98-85 but only after a terribly slow start.

New Zealand pair McDowell-White and Besson were just unstoppable in the first half combining for 41 points while hitting 11 threes between them to help their side to a 19-point lead, and the 59-42 half-time edge.

However, the Sixers were able to turn the tide in the second half and put the clamps on the Breakers. The 36ers held New Zealand to just 26 points the entire second half while scoring 56 themselves to turn that 19-point deficit into a 13-point win.

It ended up being a remarkable demolition on the boards from the 36ers pulling in 47 rebounds to 29 from New Zealand, including 16 offensive rebounds to three which led to 18 second chance points to four.

Dusty Hannahs finished with 25 points and four assists on shooting 9/15 from the field and 4/6 from three-point territory. Captain Mitch McCarron was tremendous running the ship for Adelaide too with four points, 13 rebounds and five assists.

Daniel Johnson put up another 22 points with Todd Withers contributing 16 points and four rebounds, Cam Bairstow 15 points, 10 boards, four steals and three assists, and Isaac Humphries seven points.

So the 36ers will be hoping to repeat the dose of how they played in the second half of that game.

Assistant coach Jamie Pearlman is looking forward to getting back the old Arena as well.

"It's obviously going to be about reminiscing for me about back in the day as well so it's going to be fantastic as well," Pearlman said on Sixers Fix with Scott Ninnis podcast.

"That place always had a fantastic atmosphere with the fans stomping on the bleaches and it can become an incredibly noisy arena. The club obviously had tremendous success there over many years. It will be exciting to play a game there again so check it out and please join us for that game if you can."

HUNGRY JACK'S 2021/22 NBL SEASON – ROUND 15

ADELAIDE 36ERS v NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS
Adelaide 36ers Arena, Saturday 7.30pm ACDT

Broadcast – ESPN; Kayo; Sky Sport NZ