Sixers preparing to fire against Bullets

Adelaide 36ers will be facing a Brisbane Bullets team hungry for success in their Christmas Eve showdown at the Entertainment Centre on Sunday afternoon.

The Bullets came from over 20 points down to come within 0.2 seconds of defeating Cairns Taipans last Sunday and are in need to rebound to stay in the race for the top six.

Adelaide, who also fought back for an almost 20-point deficit to get with four of league leaders Melbourne United in the final quarter last round, will be keen to give head coach Scott Ninnis his first win in the hot seat.

Brisbane have matchwinners right across the floor, they boast an NBA champion in Aron Baynes and arguably Australia’s next big thing in Rocco Zikarski, but Adelaide is improving rapidly under the tutelage of Ninnis.

THE KEY
When it comes to crunch time, the Bullets turn to Nathan Sobey, and for good reason.

The 2021 Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist is averaging 18.3 points per game so far this NBL24 season, which is an increase on his career mark of 14.5 points each night.

Bullets coach Justin Schueller hands the reigns to Sobey in the fourth, and former Adelaide 36er almost spark a miracle Bullets comeback against Cairns Taipans last round.

The 189cm combo guard scored 14 of his team-high 24 points in the final 10 minutes as Brisbane stormed home, only to fall short 102-101 against the Snakes.

Sobey needs to be curtailed, especially in the second half, but he’s a dangerous commodity across the full 40 minutes.

Adelaide will need to stunt his influence across the entire game and expect head coach Scott Ninnis to throw multiple defenders at Sobey, including Mitch McCarron, Sunday Dech and even Alex Starling.

THE SECRET
It’s quite rare for an import scorer to start on the bench, but the impact Chris Smith is having on the Bullets’ fortunes this NBL24 season is profound.

The 193cm swingman is a flat-out scorer and can shoot from almost anywhere on the floor past the halfway line.

Smith is averaging 12.3 points per game in his debut NBL campaign and has won games for Brisbane by himself, and Adelaide will need to be wary of where he is on the floor, especially in the second half.

Along with Sobey, Smith is another offensive weapon Schueller goes to down the stretch, where the Bullets use the driving penetration from Sobey to create either scores at the rim, or open looks for Smith.

The 36ers will need to limit Smith’s opportunities, heavy denial defence could be a great option for Ninnis, but once Smith gets possession, Adelaide will need a strong one-on-one defender as the import likes to create his own shot.

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DEPTH CHART
PG: Scott / Norton
SG: Sobey / White / Hadley
SF: McDaniel / Smith
PF: Bannan / Johns / Mitchell (inj)
C: Harrison / Baynes / Zikarski

FINAL WORD
Both sides will want to celebrate Christmas with a victory and Sunday afternoon’s game gives a fantastic opportunity to get the NBL24 campaign back on track.

Adelaide under new head coach Ninnis have had opportunities to win both games but have fallen at the final hurdle.

Starts have been an issue for the 36ers this season, but the Bullets gave up 35 points in the opening quarter against the Taipans and were behind by 18 points during the first half.

An increased focus on the defensive end of the floor is what Adelaide and Ninnis requires to make that final push towards a fifth victory of the season and snap a four-game losing streak.