Captain Kyle Confident in Phoenix

South East Melbourne Phoenix captain Kyle Adnam had a day out on Saturday night in the win against the Perth Wildcats. When the game was there to be won, Adnam took over at the offensive end scoring 14 of a game high 24 points, in the last quarter.

Adnam joined RSN Breakfast Club this morning to talk about the importance of the win over the Wildcats and how he sees the positioning of Phoenix and the rest of the league for the remaining of the NBL22 season.

The last time Phoenix faced Perth at home, the Wildcats got the better of an undermanned Phoenix squad hit by Covid, that also extended to the head coach.

On Saturday night the Wildcats faced a full-strength Phoenix, and the tables were turned.

(Adnam going for a lay up during Saturday night's game.)

“It’s massive, you just take a glance at the ladder at the moment and its neck and neck sort of all the way from first to sixth. It’s sort of still kind of wide open. To have a team that is neck and neck with you in the ladder position and win the game, it almost counts as two wins at the moment,” Adnam commented.

Phoenix led at half time by 14 points, but Perth fought their way back to be 80 a piece in the final quarter, before Adnam stepped up to the free throw line twice and calmy went 4/4 putting the game on ice.

“It’s just one of those games, Perth are always going to come back. I thought first half we did a great job defensively and in the second half, you know as great teams do, they respond, and we knew that was going to happen.

“I thought for us, the way we’re able to adsorb that run in that moment in particular and go back out and execute a couple of offensive plays and get to the foul line and finish the game that way. I thought that was a really good step for us. Our late game stuff is something we need to work on, and I thought in that game we really stood up which is actually really positive to see,” he said.

Phoenix are currently sitting second on the NBL ladder with some tough battles in the coming rounds against Illawarra and the top of the ladder Melbourne United.

(Mitch Creek and Adnam celebrating against the Wildcats.)

“I mean that’s the way it is shaping up at the moment but one thing that always happens is first can lose to eighth, second can lose to seventh, the NBL is so even all the teams are really on… There’s definitely some talent and teams that are sort of sticking their noses out at the moment, but one through eight, you really got to respect everyone in this league,” Adnam said.

The Phoenix captain also commented on the confidence flowing through the team right now when it comes to the rest of the season.

“I think it is just a subconscious thing and confidence within our group, there is a level of confidence to win this thing. By no means do we think we’ve got everything figured out and there’s lot of room to grow as every team will do throughout the year.

“For us, I think that confidence is there, that belief is there, I think that is an important step in where we want to go and that’s winning a championship.”

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Phoenix Media (28/2/22)