Adelaide Preparing for Reloaded Bullets

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

The Adelaide 36ers are preparing for a serious challenge against a reloaded and revitalised Brisbane Bullets on Thursday night.

The Bullets snapped a long losing streak on Monday night, taking down the South East Melbourne Phoenix by five-points.

36ers’ coach CJ Bruton has recognised the Bullets game as an opportunity to prove Adelaide’s hunger, as Brisbane have declared they’re out to ruin the finals plans of rivals.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/BrisbaneBullets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrisbaneBullets</a> are determined to make their mark and disrupt the plans for NBL finals. <br><br>''We are coming to ruin other team's seasons'' - Harry Froling? <a href="https://t.co/JI2pxzBHf6">pic.twitter.com/JI2pxzBHf6</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1614954683789086721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“We know we have a task at hand going to Brisbane, we leave tomorrow and they’re playing pretty good basketball,” Bruton said.

“One game at a time, and it starts with practice tomorrow, we’ll come in and make sure the game plan is tight and then go in and win the first quarter.

“The first quarters have gotten away from us in the last few games, so we need to make sure one, we’re in front and two, we’re doing everything the right way. So that as the game unfolds, we have more punch at the end of the game.”

Star guard Mitch McCarron is adamant the 36ers will do what it takes to secure a spot in the finals.

Adelaide has slid down the ladder to eighth place, however McCarron is optimistic the 36ers still have a chance, and as we have seen an unpredictable season unfold, this statement will not be overlooked.

“We haven’t got it done, we got to bounce back,” McCarron said.

“It’s do or die, it’s must win games and we got to do it now.

“We got Brisbane this Thursday, then we will worry about the rest after that.

“We have been disappointing, but we have run into some pretty tough teams.”

Adelaide has lost four of its last six games. The last time they played the Bullets in round 13, the South Australian side scraped out a three-point win.

“That’s in the past, we lost the games, now we just have to go and win these ones,” McCarron said.

“We haven’t lived up to our standards, not so much the outside pressure, but the standards from within, we haven’t executed down the stretch and in this league if you don’t do that, you don’t win.”

Tip-off is 7:30pm AEDT on Thursday as a starving Adelaide side fights for a crucial win.