General Shannon Shorter set the tone early for the Sixers performance: Photo by Cairns Post
Randle dished to Ellis and Todd Blanchfield to give the Kings an 8-0 start before Matt Hodgson went into beast mode early after some lean weeks. Two fouls early on Jeremy Tyler had Kings coach Andrew Gaze rocking in his chair, Randle and Shannon Shorter trading baskets and looks before Gaze blew a timeout not keen on getting in on the Sixers running game. The Sixers hit the front through two and1s from Shorter posting up on Randle and Cadee before Majok Deng knew where his old teammate was going and deflated the ball with the block shot. The Kings however had made a solid start with a 28-25 lead at the first change.
A tight first few minutes to start the second before Mitch Creek stole the ball and finished the and1 while Blanchfield was having issues with the Sixers switching on offense guarding Daniel Johnson continuously. Clearly with an assignment Adam Doyle was injected into the game to quell Randle but then hit a triple himself to have the Sixers up by 3 halfway through the second. Hodgson picked up his third foul before Deng who replaced him brought the energy with the charging foul, the deuce from the corner then helping Josh Childress tip in. Ellis continued to dominate adding another two before Shorter and Ramone Moore dropped triples. The Sixers leading 60-53 at the half with defence the real loser so far.
Ellis led the way for the Kings with 17 points while Shorter did for the Sixers with 14 points and 3 assists and rebounds, but Randle had only 3 points to half time. The Sixers were winning the fast break points again 11-4 clearly an indicator of when they are switched on offensively.
Tyler picked up a fourth digging his elbow into Johnson before Nathan Sobey took Randle the wrong way for the deuce. Anthony Drmic then did the same before Cadee chalked up an eight second violation for the Kings. Moore scored before Ellis made the and1 but the Kings looked almost like they were slipping out of it with only Ellis looking likely. Drmic hit a triple then Sobey hit the buzzer beater to give the Sixers a 83-69 lead at three quarter time.
Tyler picked up his fifth foul to open the fourth before Sobey stole the ball and ran away for the two handed flush to give them a game high 17 point lead. Randle dropped his first triple of the match before being pinged with a soft one to give Sobey three shots from the free throw line. Shorter and Randle traded triples then Randle drained another to force timeout to the Sixers. DJ became the sixth Sixer into double figures before Moore became the seventh putting Brad Newley in the spin cycle for the and1. Randle then gave up an unsportsmanlike foul on Creek to give the Sixers a unassailable lead and ran away with the game, 108-93.
Seven Sixers hit double figures led by Shorter with 19 points and 6 assists, Sobey with 16 points and 7 rebounds and Daniel Johnson dropped 15 points and 9 rebounds.
Perry Ellis was the most consistent player from both sides finishing with 26 points and 8 rebounds while Isaac Humphries produced a double double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Randle had 15 points in the second half including 3-8 from long range for 18 points and 5 assists.
The basketball world next turns it’s head to the Titanium Security Arena for the Boomers qualifier against Japan. The following week the Sixers will take on the Brisbane Bullets who no doubt will be looking to disarm whichever of the Sixers seven shows up.
Adelaide 36ers 108 (Shorter 19, Sobey 16, Johnson 15, Hodgson 13, Moore 12, Creek 11, Childress 10) defeated Sydney Kings 93 (Ellis 26, Randle 18, Humphries 17) at Titanium Security Arena.
CROSS OVER DRIBBLE 