Wells: “We believe we can win”

Adelaide 36ers Head Coach Mike Wells says his side has the belief needed to go to Sydney on Sunday and win the NBL Championship.

The Sixers forced a game five in the Championship Series with a 92-91 win in front of a new record crowd of 10,068 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Wednesday night and will now head into Kings territory full of confidence.

The Kings had lost just once in 16 games – also to Wells’ side in this series – and looked on track to at least force overtime when Torrey Craig went to the free throw line in the dying seconds. But he missed his second free-throw and Isaac Humphries pulled down a massive rebound to ice the game and force game five.

Wells praised his group for playing for the home crowd – in a 41^st straight sellout – saying the group was now aware of the challenge ahead on Sunday, but not daunted.

“We've won our home games because of what this crowd does and everything else,” he said.

“We've been on the ropes twice. We've been in two elimination games, and when you're in that type of situation, you win, you get a belief, and.. we believe we can win.

“We believe that we can go to Sydney and win and that's what this thing's about.”

Wells said winning elimination games together galvanised an already close group.

“We know that they're a hell of a team,” he said.

“They're well coached. They’ve got great players. It's gonna be one hell of a game Sunday afternoon.

“You know, it's time for somebody to break the home court winning streak. We know the challenge. We know what the odds are. We know the history of winning a final game on an opponent's record.

“It'll take an unbelievable effort, and everybody will have to pull together, and, you know, you gotta be really good and get a little lucky.

“It's a hell of a challenge, and I'm just excited for the group for where we started in August to end the season in this game.

“We started against Panathinaikos in that arena, and we'll finish it against Sydney, one way or the other, and give it a hell of a shot.”

The Kings started the game strongly, out to an eight point first period lead with Flynn Cameron and Nick Rakocevic hitting foul trouble early.

But the Sixers fought back to close to within two points at the first break with Zylan Cheatham and John Jenkins giving them avenues to the basket.

The Sixers hit the lead briefly before a 13-1 run by the Kings saw them scoot ahead, with Jaylin Galloway hitting 14 points and going at 4/6 from three-point range but Xavier Cooks picking up his third foul.

The sides turned at half time with the Kings in front by seven but with the crowd lifting and Kendrick Davis going to the bench after picking up back to back fouls to make it three for the game, the home side started to come.

With Cotton going to work, DJ Vasiljevic doing some good things at both ends of the court and Cheatham tipping in a last second ball, it was just two points the difference at the end of the third period.

As the crowd lifted, so to did the Sixers.

Cheatham and Cotton were the main avenues to the basket but the work on the defensive end was just as important.

And then it came down to Craig’s free throws, after a fifth personal foul on Flynn Cameron.

He nailed the first one, missed the second one, and when Humphries pulled down a huge rebound the game was done.

Wells was proud of the grit shown by the group, yet again.

“Throughout the entire year, we’ve found ways to win,” he said, “and we have been in a lot of close games, and it's probably why I’ve got these dark circles (under my eyes), and I don't have any voice.

“The way the whole season went, we had a new group, so you kind of figure it out on the fly, and great players end up making the right play and great plays.

“We do have a bunch of that on this team, and we've got grit, and, you know, we just kind of figured out how to win.”

Game Five in Sydney will tip off at 2:30pm AEDT / 2:00pm ACDT.