Cotton, DJ's one-two punch KOs Phoenix in Game 3

The Adelaide 36ers rode a devastating perimeter assault and overwhelming work on the glass to defeat South East Melbourne Phoenix 108–96 in Game 3 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on March 17, booking their first Championship Series berth since 2018.

“I mean, this is truly special," Cotton said.

"We’ve been through so much throughout this season. We act like a family on and off the court, honestly, and it feels great — I can’t lie.

"It feels great. This is my dog right here, too, behind me.

“There’s so much emotion in this group at the moment. There’s so much work that goes on behind the scenes that nobody knows about. We do a good job blocking out the noise and just controlling what we can control.

"The things we can’t — it’s out of sight, out of mind.”

Bryce Cotton and Dejan Vasiljevic combined for 65 points, delivering the offensive punch Adelaide needed to close out the series on home floor in an emotionally charged contest played in memory of former championship coach Ken Cole, who passed away at the weekend.

“We played seven outstanding quarters in the first two games and the third quarter wasn’t very good — probably not up to Sixers standard,” 36ers head coach Mike Wells said.

“To get another opportunity at home in front of our fans and basically play a Game 7, I couldn’t be more proud of the way we won.”

Adelaide 36ers 108 def. South East Melbourne Phoenix 96 (Final)

Adelaide Entertainment Centre – Adelaide
Quarter Scores: 28–17, 31–28, 24–19, 25–32
Largest Lead: Adelaide by 21
Time in Lead: Adelaide 38:48

Cotton was once again the engine, finishing with 38 points, seven assists and six rebounds in 39 minutes, repeatedly punishing defensive lapses and controlling tempo late in possessions. Vasiljevic returned to the starting group and immediately reshaped the game’s spacing dynamic, pouring in 27 points on six-of-10 from three-point range.

Their combined shot creation was decisive. Adelaide shot 56.9 per cent from the field and 40.7 per cent from deep, consistently generating high-value looks through early offence, drive-and-kick sequences and transition spacing.

The Sixers also dominated the free-throw battle, going 23-of-31 compared to the Phoenix’s 11-of-13, creating scoreboard separation despite similar three-point totals.

“We knew their record was about 17–1 when they score more than 100 points. You’ve got to keep them under 100,” Wells said.

“Our guys showed real toughness and grit — contesting shots, rebounding and getting back out in transition.

“We took care of the third quarter, and we took care of the boards.

We won the offensive rebounds, and we crushed them on the glass — that was the sweet spot for us to win.”

Interior presence breaks Phoenix resistance

While the backcourt provided the headline scoring, Adelaide’s bigs ensured South East Melbourne never mounted sustained momentum.

Nick Rakocevic produced a crucial 14-point, 12-rebound double-double, controlling second-chance opportunities and anchoring Adelaide’s defensive rebounding. Isaac Humphries added 13 points, four assists and two blocks, offering efficient finishing and playmaking from the high post.

Zylan Cheatham delivered one of the game’s most influential all-around performances with seven points, 13 rebounds and five assists, setting the physical tone and repeatedly igniting transition through defensive stops.

Collectively, Adelaide won the rebound count 52–31, including 15 offensive boards, a differential that translated directly into extra possessions and sustained scoring pressure.

“I don’t want to talk too much about the game because it’s the last game of the season, but for this game, they came out and played an excellent game,” Phoenix head coach Josh King lamented.

“We got out-hustled a little bit to start the game. They came out and made shots. We got out-rebounded by 21 over the course of the game. I thought they came out ready to go.

“We didn’t lead — we never led — so they kind of put it to us to start the game.

“Disappointment. I don’t think we came here expecting to lose. I certainly didn’t. We came here with a lot of confidence. We didn’t play very well tonight — we didn’t play our best game — and they had a lot to do with that. But yeah, it wasn’t our best game tonight.

“So I think guys are very disappointed in that regard and that our season’s over. These guys really supported each other all year long, from what I saw, just as well as any team did in the league. We had a lot of highs. Every season has highs and lows, but I thought we had a lot more highs than lows this season.

“It hurts because it’s the last game this total group will play together. End of the season is always tough unless you’re raising that trophy — there’s always disappointment in the last game. But they’re going to reflect back on this once the emotion wears off and understand that we had a hell of a season.”

Phoenix rely heavily on Clark

South East Melbourne’s hopes rested largely on the shot-making brilliance of Ian Clark, who produced a superb individual display with 32 points on 13-of-18 shooting, including five-of-seven from three.

Clark repeatedly halted Adelaide scoring runs and threatened to ignite a comeback with bursts either side of half-time. However, he received limited offensive support.

Nathan Sobey, coming off a career performance in Game 2, struggled to find efficiency under increased defensive attention, finishing with 17 points and eight assists on six-of-18 shooting. Jordan Hunter added 10 points and three rebounds, while John Brown III contributed across categories with nine points, 10 rebounds, five steals and four assists.

The Phoenix shot just 43 per cent overall and 29.7 per cent from three, and were unable to match Adelaide’s physical presence or scoring depth.

Sixers seize momentum early

Adelaide established control from the opening minutes, racing to a 7–2 lead and finishing the first quarter ahead 28–17 after shooting 63 per cent while outrebounding the Phoenix 16–5.

The decisive stretch came early in the second term. Consecutive long-range bombs from Vasiljevic — one from near half-court range — followed by a Cotton triple pushed the margin to 20 points, sending the sold-out Adelaide Entertainment Centre into a frenzy.

Although Clark responded with 14 second-quarter points to keep the Phoenix within reach, Adelaide entered the break firmly in command 59–45, already holding a commanding 27–9 rebounding advantage.

“They were electric tonight,” 36ers import forward Nick Rakocevic said.

They’ve stuck with us through all the ups and downs — hopefully they enjoyed the show because everybody gave everything.”

Adelaide respond to every challenge

Each time South East Melbourne threatened in the second half, Adelaide responded in kind.

Vasiljevic opened the third quarter with another triple to restore a 17-point buffer. Clark then sparked a brief surge with eight quick points, but Cotton closed the period with a momentum-killing three to extend the lead to 83–64.

A late Phoenix push — including eight points in quick succession from DJ Mitchell — trimmed the deficit in the fourth quarter, but the Sixers’ composure, rebounding security and foul-line execution ensured there would be no repeat of Game 2’s comeback storyline.

“Their crowd was great tonight,” King said.

“That’s part of the advantage of playing in a decisive game — you have home court advantage.

“You could say that won them the game. Taking nothing away from their team play, but that’s definitely an advantage to play a decisive game at home.

“Their fans were amazing, and that’s fair game (booing Nathan Sobey).

“If you’re not allowed to do that, then you shouldn’t buy tickets to come to a live game — you should watch it at home.”

Championship Series awaits

Adelaide’s victory advances them to their first Championship Series since 2018, setting up a compelling showdown with the Sydney Kings — and former Sixers star Kendric Davis.

The Sixers enter the title decider riding momentum built on elite guard play, rebounding dominance and improved defensive connectivity. If Cotton and Vasiljevic continue to dictate tempo and shot quality, Adelaide will carry genuine belief into Game 1 at Qudos Bank Arena on Saturday night.

“We haven’t thought about it at all, guys,” Wells admitted.

“We’ve literally just walked off the court from an absolute gauntlet of a series. With all due respect, can we just focus on this one, because we have not thought about it, and I don’t want to go down that road yet.

“They haven’t lost in this calendar year, have they? You’ve got a great team — you’ve got to give them credit. They’re playing well. South East is playing well. But yeah, we’re playing well now, too.

“To get to a Championship Series is really, really great — but you’ve got to have a lot of guys playing well. You’ve got to be good, you’ve got to be a little lucky, and you’ve got to be healthy.

“We’re excited to be here. We don’t have to take a back seat to anybody. I expected to win tonight — we’re at home in Game 7.”