Phoenix soar back to overrun 36ers

In so many ways Sunday's Play-In Game summed up NBL25 for both combatants with the South East Melbourne Phoenix shaking off their worst ever first half to advance by beating the Adelaide 36ers 85-75.

The Phoenix started their season 0-5 before charging into a fourth-place finish and then they once again had to fire back from a 21-point deficit at John Cain Arena.

They showed great heart to do it but their win after outscoring the 36ers 59-30 in the second half also summed up the season for a Sixers team that had so much promise, but now will never realise that.

The 36ers took complete control with a 19-0 run either side of quarter-time before the Phoenix put up 15 straight either side of three quarter-time to set up the eventual win to see them advance to a Playoff series with the Illawarra Hawks.

Adelaide finished a low-scoring opening quarter leading 16-15 thanks to DJ Vasiljevic (three points, 1/6 shooting) finding Jarell Martin for an easy bucket on the buzzer.

That 6-0 run soon turned into 19 straights points for the 36ers when they scored the first 13 of the second quarter with Jason Cadee hitting two triples.

Montrezl Harrell was then unstoppable as Adelaide's lead grew to 20 and it was a 45-26 edge on the half when Kendric Davis landed a prayer on the buzzer one stride outside the Phoenix's three-point line.

The Phoenix had their lowest ever first-half NBL score while shooting a paltry 25 per cent from the floor with Nathan Sobey (11 points) scoreless on five shot attempts.

South East Melbourne responded, though, outscoring their entire first half with 28 points in the third term including the last 10 to be within six by three quarter-time.

That became 15 straight points to start the fourth and once the Phoenix were on top, they never surrendered the lead outscoring the 36ers 59 to 30 in the second half.

Matt Hurt put up 25 points and nine rebounds for the Phoenix but it was back up guards Owen Foxwell (nine points, six assists, five rebounds) and Ben Ayre (17 points, 4/7 three-point shooting) who were phenomenal in the continued absence of Derrick Walton Jr.

Phoenix coach Josh King said he never stopped believing his team could recover from a lifeless first half.

"In the second half they did a great job," he said.

"That's the team we've seen all year long; playing with energy, playing with pace and really working hard on the defensive side of the ball."

Adelaide's rollercoaster season is now over and so is the 424-game career of Cadee who contributed 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Davis top-scored with 26 points along with six rebounds and five assists with Harrell adding 17 points and 14 boards, and Jarell Martin 11 points.

"Unfortunately it was a mini version of our whole year," Adelaide coach Mike Wells said.

"I don't know if we could play a much better first half. That was what we were looking for and what the group's been capable of from the very beginning.

"Then unfortunately we had a five-assist, 30-point second half where the defence wasn't anywhere near where it was the first half.

"That's a hard one for me to sort of sit here and digest right now. I thought we were organised and really detailed in the first half, but their pressure got us out of our comfort zone and spat us out the second half."

Kendric Davis took advantage of some mid-range looks early for six early Adelaide points before Matt Hurt quickly got to six for the Phoenix, but the 36ers finished the quarter with the final six points.

It started with Jason Cadee scoring as he tried to make sure it wasn’t his last NBL game before four quick points to Jarell Martin and Adelaide were up 16-15.

The Sixers then blew the game apart to start the second frame with Montrezl Harrell and Davis opening the scoring before Cadee landed a couple of three-point bombs, and Martin added another.

Adelaide had piled on 13 straight points in just over three minutes and they soon went on another 8-0 run with Harrell proving unstoppable. When he walked past Hurt and cruised in for a layup, the 36ers were leading 37-17 halfway through the second term.

Ben Ayre gave some brief respite for the Phoenix with two quick threes, but DJ Vasiljevic responded with his only triple of the half and then Davis knocked down a shot from well behind halfcourt to give Adelaide the stunning 45-26 lead.

The Phoenix were always going to make a run at some point in the second half but Adelaide had done well to withstand that still leading by 16 after a three ball to Davis with three minutes to play.

That's when South East Melbourne made their charge starting with three balls to Malique Lewis and Hurt. That became a 10-0 run when on the last possession the Sixers had a horror backcourt turnover when Sunday Dech threw it to Harrell who had his back turned.

Hurt picked up the pieces to make it a six-point ball game which was then three with another triple from Ayre to open the fourth. Owen Foxwell then had them within one with the home team on a 15-0 scoring run.

The Phoenix ended up starting the fourth term outscoring the 36ers 16 points to four before Ayre landed the killer blow with his fourth three with just over a minute to go and the home team celebrated with the 10-point triumph.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL FINALS 2025

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 85 (Hurt 25, Ayre 17, Sobey 11)

ADELAIDE 36ERS 75 (Davis 26, Harrell 17, Martin 11)

BOX SCORE