Phoenix Do It For The Fans in Last Home Game

A huge Fire Pit crowd was treated to a special night from the South East Melbourne.

The Phoenix ended their home season with a bang, putting together an almighty comeback to topple the Adelaide 36ers in the last minute-and-a-half of the game. Cam Gliddon was the hero, knocking down six three-pointers in the epic comeback.

The Phoenix went to big Zhou Qi early and often and he delivered with seven of their first nine points on a nifty array of post moves and strong efforts at the basket. Zhou would have 10 points at the end of the first, but Adelaide took a three-point lead into the break.

Xavier Munford tied the scores on the first play of the second quarter, a sweet three, but, from that moment, turnovers killed the Phoenix and that allowed the Sixers to bloat the lead to 17 points late in the half.

A mini fightback helped the Phoenix edge closer and, when captain Kyle Adnam took it to the rack with a difficult finish as time expired, the Sixers’ lead had been cut to eight. Munford kicked off the half in similar fashion to the second quarter, making a pair of pretty buckets that trimmed the lead to just four.

(Kyle Adnam mid-game.)

Game on. Or it should have been, but the Sixers went on yet another run and extended the lead back out to double digits. Game over?

Not quite yet, down 17, but with Cam Gliddon cooking, the Phoenix went off in the fourth quarter, trimming the lead back to one point with three minutes to go. Cue the heroics!

Glizzo poured in four three pointers, Izayah Le’afa added another one to give the team their first lead of the game with a tick over one minute to go and it was time to celebrate for the ‘Nix faithful, who had been starved of a home win for almost two months.

Brandon Ashley deserves praise for his efforts as the Sixers threatened to run away with it. He picked up the slack with a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double, reminding everyone of his abilities.

One more for the road, with Perth looming Sunday.

(Ashley dunking in his 50th NBL game.)

The Result

South East Melbourne Phoenix 94-91 Adelaide 36ers

The Numbers
Phoenix
Gliddon: 24 points, 6 3PM
Munford: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists
Ashley: 14 points, 11 rebounds

36ers
Dech: 20 points, 5 assists
Johnson: 18 points, 4 3PM
Hannahs: 18 points

The Player of the Game

Cam Gliddon
Glizzo went off! He kept the Phoenix in it with 12 points through three quarters, then exploded in the last with four of the best from deep, his last tying up the scores with two minutes left. Cam has had a tough run at it this season, with a number of ailments conspiring to curtail his on-court impact, but games like this are what he is capable of when fully fit.

(Gliddon made 6 three's.)

The Turning Point

Izayah Le’afa’s three with 1.26 to go
If Glizzo was the architect, Le’afa was the builder, finishing off Gliddon’s handy work with the last five points for the Phoenix, his three lifting the lid on the Fire Pit, before a pair of free throws finished it off. In a game with a number of turning points, his late efforts were decisive.

The Play of the Game

Big Zhou says no
You could pick one of Gliddon’s six three-pointers, but Zhou had himself a solid game. No moment as the Phoenix battled hard was more intense than his massive block on Adelaide import Todd Withers. Most guys see 216cm Qi in the key and steer clear. Not Withers, but he was reminded why the big man is among the league’s best shotblockers when his lay up attempt was sent flying into the 10th row.

(Phoenix win in front of  passionate Phoenix fans.)

From the Coach
“Bash, Brandon Ashley, I thought gave us a real boost tonight. Bit of pop off the bench, which we’ve been missing for a long while. Three-point baskets are so important in our league and it’s been a big hole for the last six weeks. We’ve really struggled from the perimeter. Glizzo straightened us up tonight, it was fantastic.”
—Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell on the impact of Gliddon and Ashley on the Phoenix win.

From the Player
“I’m happy that I got to have a nice game, but I’m way happier that we got the win. Right now, the focus is on the Perth game and finishing off right. That’s my home town, I want to go get the win over there in front of some family and it will be a lot more positive to finish the season on a win than a loss.”
—Cam Gliddon on his big night and the Phoenix’s hopes for their last game of the season.

Phoenix Media (22/4/22)