Round 18 Preview v Brisbane Bullets

The Adelaide 36ers play their second game of Round 18 in #NBL22 by taking on the Brisbane Bullets on Sunday afternoon at Nissan Arena with a chance to leapfrog their opponents with a victory.

Both teams have already played earlier in Round 18 of the NBL with Brisbane and Adelaide suffering losses that they are now determined to bounce back quickly from in this clash at Nissan Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Adelaide perhaps delivered their best and most complete performance of the season last Sunday to beat the South East Melbourne Phoenix 100-92. 

That was the first time the Sixers have reached triple-figures this season and even though they couldn’t quite back it up with another win on Friday at home to the JackJumpers, it wasn’t a performance to be too disappointed in.

Playing against a team fighting for their playoff lives, the 36ers managed to build a double-figure lead late in the third quarter and were still up by six early in the fourth term.

While the JackJumpers turned things around with a 16-0 run to set up the eventual 80-72 victory, Adelaide did a lot to like in the absence of Cam Bairstow and Dusty Hannahs on the back of having lost Isaac Humphries for the season.

Daniel Johnson put up 16 points, three rebounds and three assists, Sunday Dech 15 points and five rebounds while another six players all scored five points or more so they got plenty of solid contributions across the board.

The Bullets made the trip to Wollongong to play the Illawarra Hawks on Thursday night and they became the latest victims of one of the hottest teams in the league, going on to lose 87-70.

It was a night where not a lot went right away from home for the Bullets shooting just 27/80 at 33 per cent from the field and 4/26 at 15 per cent from three-point territory. To their credit, they did pull down 47 rebounds and score 44 points in the paint though.

Robert Franks delivered another 13 points, 13 rebounds and five assists with Tamuri Wigness adding 11 points and Lamar Patterson 10 to go with five assists, but it was Next Star Tom Digbeu who was the great positive. He put up 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

However, ultimately it was another loss for the Bullets meaning they've now lost four of their previous five matches to slip to an 8-15 record on the season coming into this home encounter with the 36ers on Sunday.

If you talk about marquee match ups between bigs in #NBL22 and it's hard to go past this battle between Franks and Johnson. 

Both players are among the best and most versatile bigs in the league, both can play the four and five position, and let's be honest both of them are capable of torching their opponents. 

Franks is in some stunning form for the Bullets to have been their great shining light this season while Johnson has found his usual groove in recent times for Adelaide as well. 

Neither might be able to stop the other if they get rolling, but whoever gets hot the greatest degree could go a long way to determining who comes away with the victory.

Adelaide coach CJ Bruton has been on quite the rollercoaster ride in his rookie season as a head coach in the NBL as he now prepares to return to Brisbane to play a Bullets team that he had every reason to think he might have been coaching this season following the departure of Andrej Lemanis.

However, Bruton is more than happy to be where he is in Adelaide to start life as a head coach in the NBL following his remarkable six-time championship winning playing career and he's looking forward to a good performance from his team on Sunday.

"The boys need to rest up first of all and start looking at the scout that's out there for Brisbane and prepare," Bruton said. 

"They have to look after their bodies and clearly we won't have a Shootaround because there's no time, and even though Brisbane's got a chance to get back, this is just how the schedule is. 

"We just have to get ready to play. We have to stay locked in and let's bring it. Dusty won't be playing. His injury will not allow for him to play so we'll go up to Brisbane without him. I feel like it's next man standing for us. 

"We lost Isaac, Bair's out right now and clearly Dusty is out right now. It's a snowball effect but it's next man standing and let's go deliver, let's go punching and delivering on the little things which can get you a win."

Dech is one Adelaide player who you can count on what he will bring every game and that's tremendous energy, being aggressive offensively where he can create off the dribble, set up his teammates or shoot the outside shot, and of course play his trademark hounding defence. 

He had another solid performance against Tasmania on Friday night finishing with 15 points, five points and two assists to continue what has been a fine season in a challenging campaign for his team once he got back from that early season quad injury.

Dech is looking forward to trying to help get the team over the line in Brisbane against the Bullets now on Sunday.

"We want to get wins so I can't be happy unless we're doing that, but every night I'm going to go out there and give it my all," Dech said.

"I fell short in this game and Adams had a really good game. He shot really well and they're match ups that I like to take on and contribute in that regard. I think each game it's a different player, but I have to go back now and watch the film to get ready for Brisbane.

"Once again they are a side who's going to be hungry and wanting to get a win. Night in and night out, I have to put my best foot forward and come ready to play."

HUNGRY JACK'S 2021/22 NBL SEASON – ROUND 18

ADELAIDE 36ERS v BRISBANE BULLETS
Nissan Arena, Sunday 2.30pm ACDT

Broadcast – ESPN; 10 Peach; 10 Play; Kayo; Sky Sport NZ