On the third home game of Christmas the Sixers want to send to us: Their home fans and the City of Churches a third win in a row at home - but the spiritual one of the Phoenix could spoil the Sixers Christmas cheer - Photo credit to news.com/NBL/Perth Now
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4-Minute Read
NBL ROUND 12
Adelaide 36ers vs South East Melbourne Phoenix
When: 5:00pm (ACDT), Saturday 24 December
Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre – The Ken Cole-seum
Broadcast: Kayo Freebies, ESPN, www.nbl.com.au
LTTM: SEM Phoenix 102 (Creek 24, Kell 20, Williams 18, Qi 11, Adnam 8, Browne 7) defeated Adelaide 36ers 84 (Franks 18, Marshall 15, Dech, Johnson 10, Cleveland 9, McCarron 8) at John Cain Arena
SWOOP BACK IN HISTORY
Giddey up in Double OT
A famous second home game for the Adelaide 36ers where the next star and NBA bound rookie Josh Giddey emerged with 13 points after three quarter time and an engrossing duel between former teammates DJ and Mitch Creek.
Have a read and watch the highlights of this one…
https://thewest.com.au/sport/basketball/36ers-down-phoenix-in-nbl-double-overtime-ng-s-2045743
Key Matchups
Ian Clark vs Trey Kell
How much, how little and what time new Sixers import combo guard and NBL championship winner Clark will play is anyone’s guess. Clark averaged 12.91 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2 assists. The impact he has off the pine is eagerly anticipated to see how much he can tie down someone who has enjoyed the Sixers in his short stint in NBL23.
Kell has dined out on Sixers turkey the last two times in the comforts of his club’s home. Now he has to do it on the road where he averages 11.4 points compared to the 22 points against the Sixers this season. They are contrasting records but show the danger Kell is.
Robert Franks vs Mitch Creek
Franks needs to put in another solid game tonight as his career form against Phoenix has been solid. He averages a healthy 14.2 points shooting 48 percent, 7.4 rebounds so at the offensive end thats not the issue. Its containing the main man for the opposition who is in incredible form.
Creek no doubt both hates and loves the Sixers for all the reasons we know. The former Adelaide player always brings his best to the contest averaging 22 points at 49 percent, 9.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists – he also scored over 27 points five times to boot. Creek is currently averaging 30.25 points in his last four games and it seems even when his team is down squad members – he rises to replace the numbers of others including Alan Williams (ankle) and Zhou Qi (returned home).
We knew he was good but this guy now is a very special player to witness…
Nick Marshall vs Junior Adut/Owen Foxwell
Numbers don’t always tell the story but influence in a game does – thats the case for St Nick. Marshall helped turn the momentum back in favour of the Sixers against the Jackjumpers with an important three minutes at the end of the third. Marshall had three points, two rebounds and an assist but importantly when the Jackjumpers who held a game high 56-63 lead and were about to burst the floodgates open – he helped reel back in. Marshall’s minutes saw the Sixers back into it 66-66.
He also had a season high 15 points against this team then backed it up with 10 points against the Bullets the following. He’s in confident form at the moment and only needs half a quarter to help turn a game back in the favour of his side.
The rookie rise continues when star players go down and with both Browne and Broekhoff likely not available – these two will step it up again. In the Sydney double overtime thriller they combined for 12 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists and played some pretty good on ball defence. They got some burn against the Bullets and will likely play a key role once again in this one.
THREE QUESTIONS TO SWOOP ON
What does Ian Clark bring and where does he fit in tonight’s game?
I anticipate he’ll play only between 10-12 minutes in this one tonight. The likely timing is around the later part of each quarter for McCarron with the Sixers running a Clark, Marshall, Cleveland/Dech combo against the Phoenix. Clark will slip into the second point guard position but also in future games into the fourth quarter closer positions with the skipper and AC.
Does Mitch Creek deserve to get another NBA shot?
In NBL23 he averages 24 points (plus four from last season) at 52 percent (plus five from last season), shoots the three ball at 35 percent (plus three from last season) – these are the areas he had to improve to get noticed again and he’s shown he can close games and now I think its more a question whether he thinks he needs to go. He’s got it pretty good here in Australia but at least a Boomers conversation for Paris needs to be had.
Are the Sixers having early christmas presents with their “Draw”?
Although you still have to win the games in front of you – they can consider themselves to be lucky they’ve drawn the teams to help them find form the way they have. If it was say the Kings, Breakers, Jackjumpers and Phoenix then that be a much tougher home run than drawing the Bullets twice and Jackjumpers and Phoenix off the back of a tight schedule for both this week.
So who wins?
The Sixers have set themselves up now with Monday nights gutsy win and have pulled the trigger on the third import and have Clark. The elements are there but this Phoenix team are deeper than some other rosters in the NBL23 and chock full of talent.
If they can nullify (cause you can’t stop Creek the way he’s going) and ride the momentum of the home fans – the Sixers can continue their run and score an early Christmas present before Santa does find out “who is Allan Browne”…
COD Prediction: 36ers by 8 points
Catch all the action tonight at the arena on Cluch Radio with Tristan “TP” Prentice and our special comments guest whether you’re at the game or watching from home
CROSS OVER DRIBBLE 