Vasiljevic driving force in opening success

Adelaide 36ers guard DJ Vasiljevic was thrilled with Monday afternoon’s big 96-64 win against Tasmania JackJumpers at the NBL Blitz on the Gold Coast.

Vasiljevic, who scored a game-high 22 points to go with three rebounds in the victory, said the side were keen to make a statement against the reigning champions.

“We needed a performance like that and to start off on the right foot was nice,” Vasiljevic said post match.

“We were coming off a tough, gritty win against Brisbane in Mount Gambier and we had first crack at the reigning champs and really set the tone early.”

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The JackJumpers defence was swarming Vasiljevic at every opportunity, trying to stop the guard shooting from beyond the arc, but the Boomers Paris Olympic squad member adjusted his role.

“You just have to play the game how it’s given to you, they were chasing me off the three-point line, but I can also take the ball to the basket and create opportunities,” Vasiljevic said.

Vasiljevic also got to the free throw line, where he connected on seven from eight attempts and got the Tasmania frontcourt into early foul trouble.

The backcourt pairing of Vasiljevic and new import point guard Kendric Davis is starting to gel, the 190cm guard knows his connection with Davis is vital moving into the regular season.

“We are playing off of each other, we both didn’t really shoot the ball at a great clip, but it was a good hit out for us,” Vasiljevic said.

“It doesn’t really matter about our statistics, we played really well as a team which matters the most to me out of anything really.”

Adelaide had contributors right across the floor in the win against the JackJumpers, Jason Cadee netting 14 points with three assists, while Nick Marshall (10 points, six rebounds, three assists) and Lat Mayen (10 points, five rebounds) continue to impress.

“We have a lot of great role players in this team that know what they are there to do and it’s showing,” Vasiljevic said.

“To see what Nick and Lat are doing really shows they have a great opportunity this season and really stamp themselves in this league, really showcase who they can be.”

Adelaide will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon when the 36ers take on New Zealand Breakers from 4.30pm SA time. You can watch the game live and exclusive on Kayo Sports.