Sixers open NBL22 with tantalising double

The Adelaide 36ers will be part of history by being the opponents for the first ever NBL match of the Tasmania JackJumpers before a fascinating home opener against the Brisbane Bullets on Sunday December 5.

The NBL has maintained a 28-game schedule for the 2021/22 season and for the Adelaide 36ers under new coach CJ Bruton it all gets underway on opening night on the road in Hobart to the league's newest franchise – the Tasmania JackJumpers.

From there it's the opening home match of #NBL22 with the 36ers hosting the Brisbane Bullets at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Sunday December 5.

The Sixers have a good run of home matches with the chance for the Adelaide fans to get right behind the team with three games at home in December, and five of the first seven at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

All in all, the 36ers play the Perth Wildcats four times during the NBL season, and Brisbane Bullets, Cairns Taipans, Illawarra Hawks, Melbourne United, New Zealand Breakers, South East Melbourne Phoenix, Sydney Kings and Tasmania JackJumpers on three occasions before the regular season wraps up at home to Melbourne on Sunday April 24.

The 36ers will make history by being the opponents for the Tasmania JackJumpers for their first ever game in the NBL and it just happens to be the opening contest of the entire #NBL22 season on Friday December 3 in Hobart.

The JackJumpers might be a new franchise but there's plenty of familiar faces on the team including former 36er Jack McVeigh. The Sixers also play Tasmania at home on Saturday January 22 and then a third time on Saturday March 19.

The opening home match takes place just two days later on Sunday December 5 and it's a tantalising opponent with the Brisbane Bullets coming to town. 

CJ Bruton will be coaching his first home game for the 36ers up against the team he was assistant coach of prior to being named head coach in Adelaide. The Sixers also face the Bullets in Brisbane on both February 26 and March 12.

A week after that first home match for the 36ers is the renewal of the rivalry with the Perth Wildcats on Sunday December 12 back at Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

The Wildcats have a new coach in #NBL22 with Scott Morrison replacing Trevor Gleeson and they are the only club that the 36ers play four times. 

They meet in Perth on Thursday January 20 and Friday January 28, and then back in Adelaide on Sunday February 20.

The 36ers then get to know the Cairns Taipans well with three games against the Snakes in the space of three weeks starting in Cairns on Saturday December 18. They then clash at Adelaide Entertainment Centre both on Tuesday December 28 and Friday January 7.

There will be plenty of anticipation over those match ups with Tad Dufelmeier and Mojave King now with the 36ers and coming up against the team they spent last NBL season with.

The 36ers then face the new-look New Zealand Breakers for the first time at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Sunday January 2 in the first game of 2022. The two teams also clash on Thursday February 10 and Sunday April 17.

Adelaide then has back-to-back trips to Wollongong to take on the Illawarra Hawks on successive Sunday afternoons on January 9 and 16 before hosting Brian Goorjian's men on Sunday March 27 for the only time this season.

It's not until Sunday January 30 that the 36ers face the defending champion Melbourne United for the first time this season marking the marquee match up of Mitch McCarron playing in Sixers colours up against his former team.

Adelaide and Melbourne also clash in Melbourne on Saturday February 12 and then in the final game of the regular season at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Sunday April 24.

The first clash with Mitch Creek and his South East Melbourne Phoenix then takes place in Melbourne on Saturday February 5 before their next two battels are at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on March 21 and April 10.

It then takes until Friday March 4 for the 36ers to play the Sydney Kings for the first time with that game taking place at Adelaide Entertainment Centre. They also clash in Adelaide on April 1 and two days later at Qudos Bank Arena.

ADELAIDE 36ERS SCHEDULE FOR #NBL22
Friday December 3 v Tasmania JackJumpers – MyState Bank Arena 7.00pm
Sunday December 5 v Brisbane Bullets – Adelaide Entertainment Centre 12.30pm
Sunday December 12 v Perth Wildcats – Adelaide Entertainment Centre 2.30pm
Saturday December 18 v Cairns Taipans – Cairns Convention Centre 7.30pm
Tuesday December 28 v Cairns Taipans – Adelaide Entertainment Centre 7.00pm
Sunday January 2 v NZ Breakers – Adelaide Entertainment Centre 12.30pm
Friday January 7 v Cairns Taipans – Adelaide Entertainment Centre 7.00pm
Sunday January 9 v Illawarra Hawks – WIN Entertainment Centre 12.30pm
Sunday January 16 v Illawarra Hawks – WIN Entertainment Centre 12.30pm
Thursday January 20 v Perth Wildcats – RAC Arena 9.00pm
Saturday January 22 v Tasmania JackJumpers – Adelaide Entertainment Centre 5.00pm
Friday January 28 v Perth Wildcats – RAC Arena 9.00pm
Sunday January 30 v Melbourne United – Adelaide Entertainment Centre 12.30pm
Saturday February 5 v South East Melbourne Phoenix – John Cain Arena 7.30pm
Thursday February 10 v NZ Breakers – TBC 7.00pm
Saturday February 12 v Melbourne United – John Cain Arena 7.30pm
Sunday February 20 v Perth Wildcats – Adelaide Entertainment Centre 12.30pm
Saturday February 26 v Brisbane Bullets – Nissan Arena 7.30pm
Friday March 4 v Sydney Kings – Adelaide Entertainment Centre 7.00pm
Saturday March 12 v Brisbane Bullets – Nissan Arena 5.00pm
Saturday March 19 v Tasmania JackJumpers – TBC 7.30pm
Monday March 21 v South East Melbourne Phoenix – Adelaide Entertainment Centre 7.00pm
Sunday March 27 v Illawarra Hawks – Adelaide Entertainment Centre 12.30pm
Friday April 1 v Sydney Kings – Adelaide Entertainment Centre 7.00pm
Sunday April 3 v Sydney Kings – Qudos Bank Arena 3.30pm
Sunday April 10 v South East Melbourne Phoenix – Adelaide Entertainment Centre 1.30pm
Sunday April 17 v NZ Breakers – TBC 3.30pm
Sunday April 24 v Melbourne United – Adelaide Entertainment Centre 1.30pm