24
Oct
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2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2: 27 on 10 straight makes ends 36ers early
South East Melbourne Phoenix’s Jordan Hunter addresses his teammates after their win against the Adelaide 36ers in Round 6 of NBL27 at John Cain Arena in Melbourne on October 24, 2026. Photo: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images.
Highlights
The NBL25 champions are 2-8 after a 98-81 home loss, with five road games before they're back home.
- All 165 games of the NBL27 season in one list
- Every NBL27 roster, squad list and projected depth chart
- Every injured NBL player, with expected return dates
- Hammer Time: Who is leading the league in dunks
Gee whiz, Jordan Hunter ($224,800) … what happened!
The 2.13m South East Melbourne centre broke the Phoenix streak of 10 straight shots – including seven straight threes – at the 3:56 mark of the first quarter, which led to head coach Josh King’s team’s 108-94 win against the visiting Adelaide 36ers in Round 6 of NBL27 on Saturday, October 24, 2026, in Melbourne.
“I didn’t even realise that,” King said of the hot being-an-understatement start to the ball game.
“They told me that, but at the time you’re not realising that.
“You’re just playing each possession like it is.
“It’s always fun when you’re making shots. It helps everything. Obviously, we’ve struggled shooting the ball this year. We’ve had good looks. We’ve got really good shooters, and like we continue to preach, water will find its level.
“Hopefully it begins to find its level because we’ve got a ways to go to find that level. But just happy with, again, the mindset and the want-to from the collective group tonight.”
The Phoenix blew out the first quarter, 42-25, and the second, 30-18, to lead 72-43 at the break. The 36ers responded in the third 29-14 and tied the fourth at 22.
South East Melbourne shot a blistering 83 per cent from three in the first quarter (10-for-12) and finished 18-for-38 (47.4%) to go 4-5 on the season (7th), while Adelaide slipped to 4-5 into 8th.
“A really good first half from us,” King said.
“We came out with the right intent, the right mindset, sticking to the game plan again. Shooting the ball like that always helps because it’s all connected. It helps us get stops.
"An excellent first half. Proud of the guys for the final result, but I didn’t think we came out with the same intensity in the second half, which is something we’ve got to work on.
“But I thought the guys did a good job of coming together in that fourth quarter, finding ways. I think we got seven stops in a row in the fourth quarter to kind of ease the tension there.”
NBL Next Star Dash Daniels ($115,000) took another step forward, logging the most minutes for the Phoenix (31:10), putting up 18 points (6-for-10), four rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block.
Six-time MVP Bryce Cotton ($473,900) played all 40 minutes. His 37 points came on 29 shots (3-for-13 threes), and the Phoenix made him work from the tip-off to the buzzer.
“Bryce is an MVP for a reason,” 36ers head coach Trevor Gleeson said.
“He’s quality and creates opportunities for everybody else.
“I didn’t take Bryce out, and he needs a rest, but I’m just looking down the bench: ‘who can help us?’
“Then we put some subs in, and they turn the ball over, and you lose that pressure.
“Our depth is really struggling at the moment.
“Hopefully we’ll get (Flynn Cameron ($241,700)) back soon. Hopefully we’ll get (Bul Kuol ($156,100)) back in December sometime, and that gives us a little bit more depth.”
King said the biggest challenge for the Phoenix at halftime was the margin.
“I’m probably speaking for all coaches: it’s really hard to go into a locker room as a coach and be up by that much at halftime and try to get these guys to understand that the game isn’t over,” King said.
“It’s just human nature because it can turn quick with the three-ball, playing against Bryce [Cotton], John Jenkins – a very good shooter.
“Again, trying to get the guys to understand that they’re getting. You see it right now with the NBA starting. You see it all over the world. Teams give up big leads because of how many possessions there are.
“It’s something we have to work on, though. It’s not an excuse, but it’s human nature, and it’s my job to try to get our guys to understand that the game isn’t over until it’s over.”
What you need to know
- South East Melbourne Phoenix beat the Adelaide 36ers 108-94 at John Cain Arena in Round 6 of NBL27.
- Phoenix won the first two quarters 42-25 and 30-18 to lead 72-43 at half-time. Adelaide won the third 29-14 to get within 86-72, and the fourth finished level, 22-22.
- Bryce Cotton ($473,900) top-scored with 37 points and eight assists on 13-from-29 in 40 minutes, and Angus Glover ($191,700) and D'Shawn Schwartz ($277,000) led Phoenix with 20 each.
- Phoenix made 10 of 12 threes in the first quarter and 18 of 38 for the game. Adelaide made seven of 28, a 33-point gap from the arc in a 14-point game.
- Adelaide won the offensive glass 18-10 and made 23 of 26 free throws to Phoenix's 14 of 19, but turned it over 16 times to 11 and assisted on 20 baskets to Phoenix's 25.
Milestones and Moments
- Angus Glover: 198 games, 2 off 200.
- Bryce Cotton: 1,487 assists, 13 off 1,500
South East Melbourne Phoenix
- Angus Glover ($191,700) scored 20 on 6-from-10, every one of his field goals a three, at 6-from-8 from deep.
- D'Shawn Schwartz ($277,000) added 20 points and three steals on 7-from-11, including 3-from-6 from three.
- Dash Daniels ($115,000) had 18 points on 6-from-10, including 3-from-7 from three, in 31 minutes.
- Nathan Sobey ($379,600) scored 13 on 5-from-10, with a team-high six assists.
- Yannis Morin ($277,000) had nine points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks.
- Akech Aliir ($125,300) added eight points and two steals off the bench.
- Skylar Mays ($277,000) had eight points and four assists on 3-from-5 off the bench, with four turnovers.
- Phoenix shot 38-from-77 from the field, 18-from-38 from three and 14-from-19 at the line, with 40 rebounds, 25 assists and 11 turnovers.
Adelaide 36ers
- Bryce Cotton ($473,900) top-scored with 37 points and eight assists on 13-from-29, including 3-from-13 from three and 8-from-9 at the line, and played all 40 minutes.
- Zylan Cheatham ($339,500) added 21 points and eight rebounds on 6-from-9, going 9-from-9 at the line.
- Nick Rakocevic ($188,400) had 18 points and 17 rebounds, 10 of them offensive, on 6-from-18.
- Jacob Rigoni ($69,000) scored nine, all from 3-from-5 from three.
- Isaac White ($98,100) had five points, seven rebounds and three assists off the bench.
- Keanu Rasmussen ($69,000) started and had two points and three assists in 12 minutes.
- John Jenkins III ($152,100) scored two on 1-from-5 off the bench, missing all four of his threes.
- Adelaide shot 32-from-78 from the field, 7-from-28 from three and 23-from-26 at the line, with 45 rebounds, 20 assists and 16 turnovers.
