King's halftime spray: 'Get your head out of your ass'

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South East Melbourne Phoenix head coach Josh King revealed his inspirational Game 2 half-time talk that led to star guard Nathan Sobey's second half explosion and to Game 3 against the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL26 Semi-Finals.

Phoenix down 0-1 and by as much as 18 points second quarter and closed to 57-44 at the main break.

"It was more or less, get your head out of your ass," King revealed.

"We got 20 minutes to seriously save our season. If we're going to go down, we're going to go down playing the way we've played all year long, and that's playing fast and playing free and taking open shots. Again, you have to make the shots, don't get me wrong.

"If those shots don't go in, everyone's saying you're just chucking threes. But I thought we got good looks. Sobs obviously got really hot there, and we were able to find him and get us going. But collectively, the team effort and spirit was much better in the second half."

And then Sobey happened. The veteran busted four triples in the first five minutes to all but erase the deficit and propel the Phoenix to a 101-92 Game 2 win in Melbourne on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

"It was awesome," King said.

"He was on a crazy hot spell, streak, whatever you want to say. He was feeling it. But I'll appreciate it more when I go back and watch it. When you're in the game, I'm like, stay up. We're making shots now, we can get our press going. I'm more focused on that than just the performance of Sobs.

"But obviously he had it going and it's awesome. Tonight I'll watch it and I'll be high-fiving and fist-pumping tonight when I'm watching it.

"So, I mean, it was awesome, but we got another game. We can enjoy this one tonight, but then we get to go have a chance at Adelaide on Tuesday.

On Sobey's heater, NBL26 Defensive Player of the Year John Brown III added: "I hope he keeps this up.

"I hope he keeps it up. But, you know, he's going to do what he's going to do.

"But the rest of the guys, we have to do our jobs too. So once they channel in on him, we have to do what we have to do – rebound, whatever that may be."

Game snapshot

• Final Score: South East Melbourne Phoenix 101 def. Adelaide 36ers 92
• Venue: John Cain Arena – Melbourne
• Attendance: 5,600
• Series: Tied 1–1 (Game 3 in Adelaide)

First-half domination from Adelaide

Adelaide looked set to clinch the series after an outstanding opening half built on elite efficiency and composure.

The 36ers surged into control late in the first quarter with a 14–2 run, sparked by perimeter shooting and transition scoring. Nick Rakocevic’s outside range stretched the Phoenix defence while Bryce Cotton relentlessly attacked the rim.

Adelaide extended the margin to 18 points early in the second quarter, dominating the paint and the free-throw line.

• The Sixers shot a remarkable 73% from the field in the first half.
• They also went to the line 15 times compared to just seven for the Phoenix.
• Cotton led all scorers at halftime with 19 points, repeatedly drawing contact and finishing under pressure.

Despite Sobey already tallying 20 first-half points, South East Melbourne trailed 57–44 at the break and appeared on the brink of elimination.

Sobey ignites historic third-quarter fightback

What followed was one of the most explosive individual quarters in NBL Finals history.

Sobey opened the second half by drilling two quick threes, immediately shifting the tempo and belief inside John Cain Arena. Within minutes, the Phoenix erased the entire deficit.

He then caught fire from deep — knocking down four triples in the first five minutes of the third term — and dragging his teammates into the fight.

South East Melbourne’s identity also emerged:

• Relentless offensive rebounding – they finished with 18 offensive boards.
• Ball pressure and disruption – forcing 18 Adelaide turnovers.
• Shot volume advantage – generating 25 more field-goal attempts despite fewer free throws.

The Phoenix erupted for 39 points in the third quarter, turning a double-digit deficit into an 83–77 lead entering the final period.

Supporting cast steps up

While Sobey’s brilliance headlined the comeback, the Phoenix received key contributions across the rotation:

• John Brown III – 12 points, seven rebounds (six offensive), tone-setting physicality.
• Jordan Hunter – nine points, six rebounds and three blocks protecting the rim.
• Owen Foxwell – seven assists stabilising the offence during the surge.
• Angus Glover – 10 points including a personal 8–0 scoring burst that helped swing momentum.
• Ian Clark and Malique Lewis – combined for 16 valuable bench points.

South East Melbourne finished with 19 assists and eight steals, reflecting their improved ball movement and defensive pressure after halftime.

Adelaide’s response falls short

Adelaide remained within striking distance behind the class of Cotton and interior production from Rakocevic.

• Bryce Cotton: 29 points, six rebounds, five assists, 12-of-14 free throws.
• Nick Rakocevic: 18 points, 10 rebounds (double-double).
• Dejan Vasiljevic: 14 points including four made threes.
• Zylan Cheatham: 12 points, six rebounds, three blocks.

However, the 36ers’ offensive rhythm stalled after halftime.

They were outscored 57–35 across the second half, committed costly turnovers, and struggled to generate quality perimeter looks as Phoenix defenders increased physicality and switched more aggressively.

Closing the deal

With momentum firmly theirs, the Phoenix controlled the final quarter through defensive stops and timely execution.

Sobey continued to command attention, drawing extra defenders and opening driving lanes and second-chance opportunities.

Adelaide never regained the lead after the third-quarter swing, as South East Melbourne closed out a nine-point victory to send the series to a decisive Game 3.

By the numbers

South East Melbourne Phoenix

• FG: 38-of-83 (45.8%)
• 3PT: 14-of-35 (40%)
• FT: 11-of-12 (91.7%)
• Rebounds: 38 (18 offensive)
• Turnovers: 11

Adelaide 36ers

• FG: 31-of-58 (53.5%)
• 3PT: 10-of-24 (41.7%)
• FT: 20-of-23 (87%)
• Rebounds: 34
• Turnovers: 18

Series outlook

The win forces a winner-takes-all Game 3 in Adelaide.

South East Melbourne will carry belief and momentum after proving they can overwhelm the Sixers with pace, pressure, and shot volume.

Adelaide, however, showed across the first six quarters of the series that their offensive ceiling — led by Cotton — remains extremely high.

The decider now shapes as a battle between Phoenix’s chaos and energy versus Adelaide’s shot-making and composure, with a place in the Championship Series on the line.