Sixers struggle again in second half of double

The Adelaide 36ers will be glad they won't be playing any more back-to-back games against the same opponents for quite some time following a tough loss to the Brisbane Bullets at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Monday night.

The Sixers put in a tremendous performance on Saturday night in their first road game of the 2021 NBL season to beat the Brisbane Bullets by 15 points. 

There was so much to like about that performance at both ends of floor and it was about as emphatic a showing as you can get, but unfortunately it was virtually a complete reversal on Monday night with the Bullets turning the tide to beat the 36ers 93-74.

The game is the last for the Sixers before the beginning of the NBL Cup in Melbourne over the next month and the first game will be on Sunday against the Sydney Kings.

Monday wasn’t the first time the 36ers have struggled this season in the second half of double-headers against the same opponents. 

They beat the South East Melbourne Phoenix first up before losing the second game and then after two wins over the New Zealand Breakers, they beat the Kings first go around but lost the return encounter.

The trend then continued on Monday night back in front of another strong Entertainment Centre crowd.

Being outrebounded for the game by 13 certainly didn’t help Adelaide's cause and neither did shooting 36 per cent from the field and 29 per cent from deep while Brisbane's Vic Law was hot in the first half with 19 of his 27 points for the game.

Daniel Johnson top-scored for the 36ers with 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists with his partner-in-crime Isaac Humphries dealing with foul trouble but still producing 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

Josh Giddey tried hard to get his teammates into the with nine points and eight assists with Jack McVeigh finishing with seven points and three rebounds, Tony Crocker seven points, Jeremy Kendle five points and three assists, Brendan Teys four points, Keanu Pinder three points and three blocks, Sunday Dech two points and seven rebounds, and Daniel Dillon two points.

Sixers coach Conner Henry didn’t hide his disappointment in the execution post-match.

"I'm really disappointed. After such a good game the other night up there I thought we'd come back given we had the same amount of rest and hours on a flight," Henry said.

"I thought we'd come out and match their intensity, which we didn’t, and they played harder and faster than we did, and we didn’t execute a lot of things in the scouting report. I'm extremely disappointed in the loss."

The 36ers dominated the Bullets in Brisbane on Saturday night and that momentum flowed into the start on Monday. Daniel Johnson and Isaac Humphries delivered a 9-1 start for the Sixers, but that was as good as this night would get.

Brisbane went on a 14-2 run to turn the tide and be leading 17-14 by quarter-time but Adelaide stayed in touch through the first part of the second term, starting with five quick points from Johnson.

Tony Crocker knocked down a three but the Bullets would then go on a 15-3 run with Vic Law scoring eight of those points to help the visitors to the 47-37 lead at the break despite 13 points, six rebounds and three assists for Adelaide from Johnson.

Humphries tried to spark the Sixers to open the second half with a pair of three-point plays, and Josh Giddey and Keanu Pinder both dropped triples, but it didn’t stop Brisbane leading by 18 at three quarter-time with a 13-2 run scored all by former Sixers Matt Hodgson, Harry Froling, Jason Cadee and Nathan Sobey. 

The fourth quarter was important to blend Jeremy Kendle and Daniel Dillon into the system for Adelaide with this their last game before now entering the NBL Cup in Melbourne.

2020/21 Hungry Jack's NBL Season - Round 5

ADELAIDE 36ERS 74 (Johnson 20, Humphries 15, Giddey 9)

BRISBANE BULLETS 93 (Law 27, Sobey 19, Johnson 15) 

Box Score