'Heart of Glass': Phoenix crush 36ers on the boards

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Adelaide Entertainment Centre staff won't have to use Windex on the backboards before the next Adelaide 36ers NBL26 clash because South East Melbourne Phoenix did it for them, wiping the glass and the home team 99-77 on Saturday, January 31, 2026.

The Phoenix pulled the ladder-leaders apart on the boards, ripping down 21 offensive rebounds in the first half alone in a statement win between the league's top two teams.

Phoenix defensive stopper John Brown III had nine of the 23 total offensive rebounds and 13 of the 54 total.

"Either you’ve got it or you don’t," Brown III said.

"It’s the will to win and the way to win. You’ve got to have more possessions than the other team. That’s what I try to focus on — getting us extra possessions. That’s an area I’m good at."

Head coach Josh King's men are now 20-9, a game behind the 36ers at 21-8 and recovered from a 101-93 loss on Wednesday on the road to Perth.

"I’m really proud of the guys’ collective effort," he said.

"They’re always good team wins when you win, but I thought the guys were really focused. We talked about our defense collectively not being great for probably the last month, and we knew if we wanted to come in here and beat a really good Adelaide team, we would have to lock in and win the game on the defensive side of the ball. I think the guys did that tonight.

"Collectively, everybody was locked in, focused, and did their job. It was a night where we didn’t really shoot the ball well — we shot about 39 percent from the floor — but I thought our energy was really good. Twenty-one offensive rebounds, I kind of wanted to see how many we could get.

"We only had two in the second half, but 21 in the first half kind of kept us in the game. I thought collectively we did a great job on the defensive side of the floor."

Adelaide's preparation was far from ideal having the answer to the NBL Game Review Panel after the wild melee in Brisbane on Wednesday night. Forward Nick Rakocevic was suspended for a game, Zylan Cheatham fined $775 and assistant coach Kerry Williams also fined $775.

"I thought our guys really tried to do a lot of really good things," head coach Mike Wells said.

"I thought they played hard. We were trying out there. Unfortunately, the offensive rebounds in the first half took their toll. I thought we did some good things with our rotations. There were a couple of times we fouled shooters, but that’s going to happen once in a while against them because they take so many threes and you’re trying to get there to contest.

"But 21 offensive rebounds in a half is probably not going to be the greatest thing for your team, and that took its toll on us.

"You probably saw more of that in the second half, even though they got two. There was definitely a change in the tempo and the pace of the game from the first half to the second."

Wells stopped short of blaming the schedule for the 36ers ability to string wins together after a dominant mid-season. The 36ers played at home for the first time after going on the road to Perth, Sydney, New Zealand and the Gold Coast.

"I don’t want to sound like I’m making a whole bunch of excuses," he said.

"Our schedule has been a challenge. That’s probably the easiest way to say it without sounding like an excuse, because I don’t want to give one.

"We’ve only been home a little bit and then we’re taking right back off. We have to use every moment and every way to move the group ahead.

"How you conserve your energy but still move the group ahead — whether that’s actual practice, film, individual film — there are a whole bunch of ways to do it.

"We’ll have to tap into every resource we can, in small groups, large groups, playing groups, individuals, combinations, partners.

"There are a whole bunch of different ways to do it. It will be limited in terms of actual physical time on the court, so when we are on the court, we have to be super efficient with what we’re trying to do and what we’re trying to accomplish."

Key Details

• Round: 19
• Result: South East Melbourne Phoenix 97 def. Adelaide 36ers 77
• When: Saturday, 31st January 2026
• Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
• Attendance: 10,047
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Nathan Sobey (Phoenix) starred with 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals in 32 minutes.
• Bryce Cotton (Adelaide) scored 26 points, and had four rebounds, six assists, and one steal in 40 minutes.

What Happened

The Phoenix established their dominance through a decisive second quarter, outscoring Adelaide 30-22 to take control of proceedings. After a deadlocked first quarter at 18-all, South East Melbourne's offensive efficiency began to shine through as they built momentum heading into the halftime break.

Phoenix continued to extend their advantage in the third quarter, adding another seven points to their lead with a 23-16 period. The visitors' superior ball movement and rebounding prowess became increasingly evident as they methodically pulled away from their hosts. Adelaide struggled to match Phoenix's intensity on both ends of the floor throughout the middle periods.

The fourth quarter saw Phoenix maintain their commanding position, outscoring Adelaide 26-21 to secure a comprehensive 20-point victory. Owen Foxwell provided crucial scoring punch with 16 points on efficient 5-from-8 shooting, including a perfect 5-from-5 from the charity stripe. John Brown III dominated the paint with 13 rebounds and 14 points, showcasing exceptional efficiency with 7-from-10 shooting from the field.

For Adelaide, Flynn Cameron provided a bright spark with 21 points on 8-from-14 shooting, including an impressive 4-from-9 from downtown. However, the 36ers struggled collectively from beyond the arc, managing just seven makes from 27 attempts for a disappointing 25.93% success rate. Bryce Cotton led all scorers with 26 points but needed 21 shots to reach that total, highlighting the defensive pressure applied by Phoenix.

Phoenix's rebounding advantage proved decisive, cleaning the glass 54-37 while generating 21 assists compared to Adelaide's 15. The visitors' superior ball movement and second-chance opportunities ultimately wore down the home side. South East Melbourne's defensive effort forced Adelaide into difficult shots throughout the contest, limiting their offensive flow and creating numerous transition opportunities.