DREWITT'S BULBS MATCH REPORT: Phoenix Hammer Sixers with Roof Open

The South East Melbourne Phoenix celebrated their first hosting of an open air game at John Cain Arena in style with the 106-86 thumping of the Adelaide 36ers on Saturday night.

The Phoenix played their first home game in the venue with the roof open and it was a party mode of an evening for them and their sold out 10,175 fans as they romped to the 20-point win over the 36ers.

South East Melbourne scored the first eight points, Adelaide then scored the next 10 but once the Phoenix took back over in the second term there would be no coming back for a Sixers team missing DJ Vasiljevic and Sunday Dech.

The Phoenix did virtually as they pleased offensively all evening with Adelaide's defensive woes on the road continuing. Coming into the game the Sixers had been conceding 105.2 points in their six road games in NBL25 (opposed to 86.6 at home).

The Phoenix put up 106 points to end up shooting 48 per cent from the field with 16/39 from the field and they made a point all game of targeting Kendric Davis and Montrezl Harrell at the defensive end.

The result was Derrick Walton Jr finishing with 28 points, six rebounds and three assists on 6/10 three-point shooting while Matt Hurt delivered 23 points, seven boards and four assists on 9/12 from the field and 3/5 from downtown.

Angus Glover also made 5/10 from deep for 15 points with Jordan Hunter delivering 12 points and eight rebounds, and Nathan Sobey 10 points, nine assists, four boards and two steals.

It was a rough evening for the 36ers who are now 7-9 and having lost five of their last six with Davis finishing with 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds, and Harrell 15 points and five boards.

Isaac Humphries also had 17 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots with Lat Mayen contributing 10 points and five boards, and Keanu Rasmussen nine points but they had 15 turnovers, just the six second chance points and ended up attempting 11 fewer field goals.

The Phoenix started on fire with the first eight points of the game including three-pointers to Derrick Walton Jr and Nathan Sobey, but the 36ers responded with the next 10 starting with a Lat Mayen triple and then the next seven courtesy of Isaac Humphries.

South East Melbourne then scored the next six before Adelaide delivered six of the next eight, but it was the Phoenix turning into quarter-time with the 26-22 advantage.

The Phoenix blew the game open to start the second period with three-pointers from Matt Hurt, Angus Glover, Hurt again and then Walton as the lead got out to 13.

A couple more triples before half-time to Walton and the Phoenix went into the locker room in control leading 56-38 on the back of making 9/24 from behind the arc to the 2/11 from the 36ers.

Walton and Hurt then opened the second half with three balls as well and things were threatening to get ugly with the home team's lead growing to 23 points.

To Adelaide's credit they did show some fight the rest of the third quarter and had closed the gap back to 12 at three quarter-time, but Angus Glover closed the door on them once more with consecutive three balls to open the final term.

There would be no comeback from there as the Phoenix celebrated their last game at John Cain Arena until February 2 in style with the 20-point win with the added spectacle of the open roof.

The 36ers now head home to host the Brisbane Bullets on Christmas Eve while the Phoenix don't play until New Year's Eve away to the current league-leading Illawarra Hawks.

FULL TIME STATS

Walton Jr: 28p/6r/3a/1stl/1blk
Hurt: 23p/7r/4a/1stl
Glover: 15p/3r/1a/1stl
Hunter: 12p/8r/1blk
Sobey: 10p/4r/9a/2stls
Wieskamp: 6p/2r
Lewis: 4p/2r/1a/1stl
Foxwell: 4p/1r/3a/2stls
Vodanovich: 2p
Kenyon: 2p/2r/1stl
Rosendale: 1r

CLICK HERE FOR PHOENIX'S NEXT HOME GAME IN GIPPSLAND ON JAN 11 2025.