Creek started the week dunking and playing some of the most physical basketball seen for Australia since Andrew Vlahov and finished the week doing the same against the Brisbane Bullets. Photo by The Wimmera Mail-Times
The Sixers donned in white with many old away jerseys spotted in the crowd from over thirty years of history started the contest with a bang particularly through under-pressure home performer Daniel Johnson. DJ scored the first 5 points of the game making smart decisions on offence but the Bullets through Perrin Buford who alley-oop slammed off the inbound levelled the scores early before Matt Hodgson threw the sledgehammer down at the other end with some authority. The game ebbed and flowed early while Daniel Kickert and Anthony Drmic resumed hostilities in small bumps but Josh Childress clearly better locked into Adelaide’s plays started his influence early with 5 points in early minutes. Stephen Holt hit a triple, Majok Deng produced a long mid-range bank shot and then a crucial offence rebound to got to the stripe. The Bullets leading by one after an entertaining opening quarter, 24-25.
Creek got the lead back early in the second before Hodgson denied Mitch Young but former Sixer Adam Gibson back from injury then nailed his second triple of the match. Some quality defence from Creek and Hodgson led to a fast break two hander dunk for Nathan Sobey with the in his prime Charles Thomas lift the feet under the backboard finish. The Bullets through Travis Trice pushed the margin out to 8 points before a couple of euro steps resulted in points for Shannon Shorter and Sobey cutting it back to 4 points. Drmic nailed a triple, Buford finished strong twice and the Bullets pushed it back out again. Creek went skating on the ice finishing with the non-preferred but the Bullets led the match 45-49 at the break.
Kickert kicked off the third before Creek blocked Buford then nailed a triple at the other end. Sobey then gave the Sixers the lead before coming from the clouds to reject Young at the other end. Reuben Te Rangi halted the run before Gibson “took the chair” out from under Creek and then scored the two at the other end. Drmic then dropped another bomb and Childress split the Bullets in half for a deuce. Te Rangi continued to enjoy a purple patch quarter before Kickert then took a couple of Sixers into the block but a flop technical on Holt had the Sixers within 3 points at the end of the third, 61-64.
Childress started the last aggressively before Kickert hit “his” layup from deep twice. Sobey then shook Tom Jervis for a jaw dropping lay-up before Gibson dropped a long two and Buford hit a spin-around two to have the Bullets out to a game high nine points with 5:00 left. Drmic then came up good from deep again to get the Sixers back within 6 points before the Sixers switched to a 1-3-1 zone defence. It paid off as Creek finished with the two handed slam off the Childress steal. A 9-0 run to the Sixers forced timeout from the Bullets. Trice then dropped the dagger to push it out to 3 points again before Creek hit a runner to cut it to one. Childress then cut through the lane weaving his way through as the wily NBA veteran he is to the charity stripe. He dropped two to get them in front by one but Jervis found a mismatch and with 31 seconds left in the game the Bullets led by one point. Enter Creek who off a magnificently drawn up play sliced through the lane to give the lead to the Sixers. The Sixers forced Gibson into a runner, then the offensive put back was denied by Childress off the rim which jarred out to Te Rangi who rimmed the game winner, the Sixers home in dramatic style by one point, 84-83.
Creek led the way for both teams with 23 points at 78 percent and 4 rebounds and including his energy lifted the team across the line while Childress played his best game for the Sixers this season with 16 points at 66 percent and 5 rebounds.
The Bullets had multiple contributors with Trice and Kickert both registering 18 points and 3 assists while Buford nearly became another opposition small forward to get a double double at the Fortress with 15 points and 9 rebounds.
The Bullets next up have a tough stretch beginning with a New Zealand Breakers team desperate to restart their winning streak tomorrow afternoon at their home of the Armoury while the Sixers will take on the toughest assignment in the NBL, the Perth Wildcats at the Jungle next Friday night. If the Sixers can put all the pieces together and DJ can pretend the Jungle is his home arena again, perhaps the Sixers can start to make it tough for the other teams in the league and start to take a stranglehold on third position on the ladder.
One things for sure, last night we saw what a combination of Creek and Childress could do for the Sixers script this season and looking forward, it looks exciting and a real page turner.
CROSS OVER DRIBBLE 