Randle (left) and Shorter (right) will be utilising each other's kryptonite in this titanic struggle. Photos by Zimbio and News.com, edits by CrossOverDribble
When: 5:00pm (ACDT), Saturday, 18th November
Where: Titanium Security Arena, Adelaide
Broadcast: NBL TV, Fox Sports, Sky Sports, SBS Viceland
Last time they met:
Round 3: Adelaide 36ers 114 (Sobey 25, Shorter 19, Hodgson 14, Deng, Johnson 13) defeated Sydney Kings 84 (Leslie 25, Newley 15, Ellis 13) at Titanium Security Arena
CROSS OVER DRIBBLE FLASHBACK:
ROUND 4, 2015: ADELAIDE 36ERS VS SYDNEY KINGS
This week with an old favourite dropping into town, we flashback to a recent classic which I’ll never forget when the Kings came to town November 7, 2015. It at the time was the fourth greatest comeback victory in the league’s 40-minute game era and established the man with the number 9 as a folklore crowd favourite.
Heading into the final quarter, the 36ers trailed by a massive 18 points while our current import Josh Childress was injured for the Kings. In his absence an old mate of his in former NBA swingman Al Harrington was suited up and doing the damage across all avenues. While it was our own hardman veteran Anthony Petrie that sparked the run back into the match, there was no denying that Jerome Randle was leading the way as I said to my mate (and he can vouch for this) when Julian Khazzouh fouled out next to me in the crowd that the 36ers were going to steal this one through our man who then hit a bomb from a long way out.
The crowd were in raptures as I held a “You Can’t Handle The Randle” sign up in the crowd and the comeback continued. One of my favourite ballers in NBL history who I would’ve loved to see in Sixers colours in his prime in Ebi Ere then nailed a dagger to tie scores 95-95 before one of the Kings many revolving door of imports Marcus Thornton went one of two from the charity stripe. Randle then dropped a huge long-range deuce and anxiously nailed two of two from the stripe on the next play before Thornton’s half-court shot missed as the Arena fans celebrated having witnessed one of the great comebacks of the modern era.
Adelaide 36ers 99 (Randle 33, Petrie 23, Johnson 15) defeated Sydney Kings 98 (Harrington 18, Khazzouh 18, Garlepp 16, Cadee 15) at the Adelaide Arena
Key Match-Ups:
Shannon Shorter vs. Jerome Randle
Two distinctive styles of players but this very much is a case of Batman versus Superman probably with a better storyline behind it.
Shorter is the new general of the Sixers at the point position, who’s first option is to reward cutters and the pick and pop shooters before shooting himself. The long-range field goals are the secondary option whilst taking a point guard into the post is the first option which will test the kryptonite of the defensive prowess of Randle in past seasons
In the other corner is the completely opposite game of Randle with explosive speed and handles, utilising screens and off-ball pick action. Randle will try to leave Shorter on his island out on the perimeter and beat him to the basket off reversal drives as he hits the D-Pad up button on his personal PlayStation controller for an isolation play.
Whoever wins the battle of the heroes has a huge influence in the result of this one.
Nathan Sobey vs. Todd Blanchfield
Again, it’s a must watch for how Sobey will come out and his last game against the Kings was exquisite as his explosive speed and movement was too much for Leslie and Cadee to contain through four quarters. He was much better last week but knows he needed to make some better decisions in the last few minutes of the match, but he wasn’t alone.
If we were talking heroes before then riddle me this, the enigma of Todd Blanchfield continues to baffle the basketball purists. How can such a gifted player be producing single figure scores for the considerable number of minutes he’s playing? Blanchfield if the Kings are to get a sniff needs to be the third or fourth man in doubles this weekend otherwise people will begin to question very strongly his value to this roster and he doesn’t have a coach with initials DD to pin the blame on this time.
Josh Childress vs Isaac Humphries
After a brilliant first half including opening with a put back jam to welcome himself in blue, Childress faded significantly in the second half of last week’s game of the Hawks. No doubt after a large amount of fitness work in the gym this week that Childress should run this one out much better against his former side and as a key big in the side, he’ll need to make an impact across four quarters.
The talented teen is the kind of player that could give the Sixers some huge problems if he gets going. Now supported by Jeremy Tyler in the starting five spot, the minutes he plays can be significantly efficient now he has to play less time and that spells danger for the Sixers. Watch for him to screen for Randle and Cadee and roll hard to the basket off Gaze’s classic offences.
The Last Play
After both teams dropped games against the Hawks last week and last night, this has the makings of a modern classic. The scene is set with the NBL MVP suiting up for the Kings in what I said last week could possibly be scenes (let’s hope a little grace is shown) mirror Mark Bradtke’s return with the Melbourne Tigers after his “European” holiday.
In the long run, the game is bigger for the Sixers as the Kings are coming to town with most expecting them to lose but when they are fielding the team they are this time around, the Sixers must be focused for four quarters otherwise the Kings will dethrone the Sixers and send them into the bottom four. That would bring significant questions of is this the end of the Sixers run of finals given results early in the season. My prediction is that this will be a much tighter affair than last time but that the overall strength of the Sixers will prevail, but Randle will still top twenty points in a loss to his former side. Whatever the result, this one is going to be sport theatre at its finest.
36ers by 9 points
CROSS OVER DRIBBLE 