DJ shoots 36ers to big win in Cairns

DJ Vasiljevic lit it up spectacularly like very few NBL players ever have with seven three-pointers in the first quarter as the Adelaide 36ers got the crucial win beating the Cairns Taipans 99-75 on the road.

It was always going to be a tricky game for the 36ers at Cairns Convention Centre on Sunday afternoon coming off a tough loss in Perth on Friday and having a full travel day across the Nullarbor on Saturday.

Add in that it was a crucial game in the context of their season as they attempt to break into the top six and up against a Taipans team back home and having four strong performances to start 2025 including two wins.

Vasiljevic shook off that danger quickly as the Adelaide captain knocked down some remarkable shots on his way to seven in the first eight minutes with his 21 quick points helping the Sixers to the 38-12 quarter-time lead.

The 36ers were never headed from there even though for the rest of the game Vasiljevic only added another 11 points on 3/12 three-point shooting.

It was still enough for him to hit 10 threes for a second time in his 130-game NBL career for 32 points.

"When you get going, it's hard to stop," Vasiljevic said.

"The hoop becomes like a hula hoop. You can just throw it from anywhere and it goes in."

Kendric Davis put in another strong showing for 27 points and nine assists with Adelaide getting the win to improve to 11-13 as they chase down the sixth placed Tasmania JackJumpers (12-13).

Montrezl Harrell added 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Isaac Humphries 10 points, four boards, two steals and two blocks.

After four strong performances with wins over Brisbane and Illawarra, and narrow losses to South East Melbourne and Sydney, it was a comedown performance from the Snakes as they shot just 36 per cent with 8/33 from downtown.

Tanner Groves led the charge with 23 points and nine rebounds with Akoldah Gak adding 12 points and 10 rebounds while Taran Armstrong had 11 points and five assists, and Rob Edwards 11 points. But the pair shot a combined 7/23 for the game.

"DJ Vasiljevic shot the hell out of that ball, but he was feeling good because we were going under on screens," Cairns coach Adam Forde said.

"The starters really let us down, apart from Tanner. That was really disappointing."

The best way for the 36ers to shake off the fatigue of playing, and losing, in Perth on Friday before making the trip to Far North Queensland was to shoot their way out of trouble early in Cairns.

That's exactly what DJ Vasiljevic was thinking and had the most remarkable of shooting performances in the first eight minutes of the game.

He took nine three-point attempts, made seven of them and by the time he came out with two minutes to play, he had 21 points to his name and the 36ers were leading 34-8.

Some of the three-point makes were incredibly contested, off balance and from way downtown buckets too as he chased down the 10 three-point performance he had against the South East Melbourne Phoenix for Sydney back in NBL23.

On the back of his performance, Adelaide were leading 38-12 but Cairns did well in the second quarter denying Vasiljevic the ball and he took just two shots the entire period.

However, Kendric Davis still had 18 points and four assists at the half for the Sixers to remain in control at 60-37 even with the Taipans outscoring them 25-22 for the frame.

Adelaide did score the first six points of the second half to be up 29 but the Taipans responded well and even sent a brief scare into the visitors by scoring eight straight points to be back within 19.

However, the 36ers were back out by 24 at three quarter-time and from there cruised to the 24-point win including a couple more triples to Vasiljevic to give him 10 for the game.

The Taipans remain at home to host the league-leading Illawarra Hawks who they did beat last time on Thursday night while the 36ers stay on the road for a pivotal match up with the Sydney Kings on Friday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2024/25

CAIRNS TAIPANS 75 (Groves 23, Gak 12, Armstrong 11, Edwards 11)

ADELAIDE 36ERS 99 (Vasiljevic 32, Davis 27, Harrell 17)

BOX SCORE