Adelaide 36ers vs. New Zealand Breakers
When: 2:30pm (AEDT), Sunday 29 December
Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
Broadcast: NBL TV, SBS On Demand/Viceland, Twitch TV
Last times they’ve met:
Rd 11 2019/2020: New Zealand Breakers 96 (Abercrombie 22, Henry 20, Loe 13, Weeks, Hopson 12, Delaney 10) defeated by Adelaide 36ers 99 (Randle 29, D Johnson 26, Griffin 14) at Spark Arena
SIXERS SHOT BACK INTO HISTORY
RD 2 2009/10: BALLINGER BURSTS THE BREAKERS
Only a few matches into the 2010/11 season and many were already branding Adelaide a team of veterans that were making up numbers. The opposite was said of New Zealand who were charging their way up the NBL table after plenty of close finishes to the finals but not quite making it. Fans were still getting their look at new import shooting machine John Gilchrist who’s career was cut savagely short with injury while an older Cortez Groves showed glimpses of his 2000s NBL career with the Wollongong Hawks and the South Dragons but never quite reached those lofty heights.
Adelaide were jumped by New Zealand before producing a 17-4 run sparked by naturalised import Adam Ballinger. Leading 21-15 at quarter time, the Breakers former 36er Oscar Forman tried to launch them back into the game. In the second quarter Darren “The Doctor” Ng broke it open again with some triples before the Breakers clawed it back to 2 points thanks to solid import centre “Rolling” Rick Rickert but trailed by four at the half. The margin at the end of each quarter after that never changed as both teams matched each other basket for basket. The Breakers had many chances to snatch the game but couldn’t make the key baskets as the 36ers eventually held on for a 80-76 win at the Dome. Ballinger led the way with 22 points at 68 percent from the field supported by Gilchrist with 17 and 7 rebounds showing his athleticism, Brad Hill had 11 while Groves had 10 points and 5 assists including a couple of still athletic rim slams. The Breakers were outgunned with only Penney and Rickert registering 18 and new import Awvee Storey hitting 11 for the game.
Key Match-Ups
Jerome Randle vs. Sek Henry
Long may the last 15 seconds of their last game live in the minds of Sixers fans and Breaker supporters and what Randle can do when the Sixers play their style. Randle has had big scoring outings in the time on court he’s had against the Kiwis this season and clearly if the Breakers were to cause an upset at home then they’d have to stop his scoring production per minute and get over the top of those pick and rolls.
It seems that Henry has been the Zara Turner character in the “sliding doors” of imports at the Breakers surviving the injury, roster changes and trouble so far in the season. His production as a result has benefited averaging 18 ppg, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.3 triples per game running the point for the Breakers. He poses a very real threat to the Sixers that must be quietened across the four quarters.
Anthony Drmic vs Scott Hopson
We love Anthony Drmic’s energy on defence and his season so far but he’s just starting to show a little bit of that hesitation when he gets an open look. Drmic needs to take his attack the rim pills this game and get back to what had him in the conversation for most improved player and this game is a perfect opportunity to reset his mindset and get back to his 2019 self.
After a long injury lay-off, Hopson is back with a bang knocking down 24 points against the Phoenix, 21 points against the Hawks and then 27 against the Bullets last night. This was not mentioning two daggers to win their last games so ice cold that a little french man in a bowler hat has started investigating daylight murder claims from the Hawks and Bullets. Liam Santamaria stated in one of his game previews that when Hopson scores 20 points or more the Breakers are 3-1, so keep an eye on the score cube for a stat which is the difference between W and L.
Eric Griffin vs. Brandon Ashley
The last game in Adelaide was the spark that lit the fuse of Griffin to explode. Coming off the pine has been a masterstroke from Wright and suits Griffin’s impact and playstyle well. Since he’s come off the bench he’s averaging 17.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg, shooting at 63.94 percent from the field and is 8 of 15 from the perimeter; they are some big numbers. The numbers prove Griffin’s playstyle suits the Sixers transition game and with a smaller, slower Breakers front court guarding him when he enters the court is gonna be a huge problem for the Kiwis.
Brandon Ashley has been down on numbers and despite being a starter for most of the season, “Director of Coaching” Dan Shamir has placed him in a pine role as well. Ashley seems to have trouble more than most imports adjusting to the foul calling of the post play this season hence his playing time down to 20 minutes per game. That with the return of Dr Evil’s number two in Rob Lo(w)e to the front court means Ashley needs to get producing otherwise he’ll be the next on the Breakers conveyor belt out of Auckland at seasons end.
The Last Play
I had a great chat via text with my Dad as I usually do after Sixers performances like last weekend, we talked players who couldn’t hit shots, lack of intensity and a severe break down in system. Then after much observation and thought I think I’ve figured it out and its been the same back in the Marty Clarke era of basketball. Many fans I spoke with and said they’d rather watch the Sixers drop games entertainingly rather than play half court keep moving it till player A gets shot (Steve Weigh i’m looking at you squarely on that one) and still drop it. The great successful Sixer teams have of course played defence as you do in basketball but it is generated by the flow of offensive production in the full court that Ken Cole and Phil Smyth instigated for years. We need to stop trying to be Perth and Melbourne and play natural Sixers basketball which is our identity as a club, excite fans, run fast transition and back our ability to score more points than the opposition even if we give up 90 plus, its who’s in front at the end that’ll count and the rest will follow.
So Joey and crew especially in this Looney Tunes themed round, go out and do what the tunes did against the Mon-stars in the second half and play to who you are, oh and don’t forget to take your “secret stuff”.
That’s all folks…
36ers by 15pts (Prediction 114-99)
*This article is a duplicate of an article written for publishing for And The Foul.net and may appear before or after publishing
CROSS OVER DRIBBLE 