Sotto bucks foul trouble in 36ers win
Kai Sotto and the Adelaide 36ers finally broke the bad spell in an emphatic way, stunning second seed Cairns Taipans, 99-96, in Australia’s National Basketball League on Monday, Jan. 30.
After struggling to get their bearings going, the Sixers managed to create a slim chance for themselves in the playoffs and improved 12-14 in the standings.
The Filipino import delivered decent numbers despite struggling with foul troubles after finishing with 12 points on a 4-of-5 shooting including two rebounds in 12 minutes and 49 seconds of play. Meanwhile, Antonius Cleveland got all up in his arms after a 27-point performance on top of seven rebounds, three assists and two steals while Robert Franks came through with his own 20 markers, nine boards and five assists. Despite running on low morale with their five-game losing streak in hands, Adelaide kept itself within sight of Cairns at the half, 53-50.
With a 97-96 lead in the fourth period, NBA champion and former Golden State Warrior Ian Clark threw in some extra cushion for Adelaide through a pivotal basket to extend the lead by three with only half a minute remaining in contest.
Cairns tried to keep itself on top in the ensuing possession but couldn’t translate an offensive response.
With 24 seconds to spare, Cleveland was sent to the line but missed both freebies. However, the redemption was quick to follow after his conclusive steal in time for the buzzer.
Despite keeping the playoffs in contention, Adelaide will be playing two more games it cannot afford to lose.