Phoenix Shoot Down Bullets in Thriller Finish

Phew!  Take a breath, Phoenix fans. The shots were falling and the clutch plays rolled in as South East Melbourne just pipped a plucky Brisbane Bullets side at John Cain Arena.

In a Saturday night clash, the Phoenix bounced back with an energetic display that put them back on the winners’ list in a 98-94 result.

Cam Gliddon and Ryan Broekhoff hit from all over the court, Xavier Munford looked back to his best and Mitch Creek and Brandon Ashley chipped in to a great offensive team effort.

(Zhou Qi slamming down a bucket against Brisbane.)

Gliddon’s injection into the game paid immediate dividends for the Phoenix, the sharpshooter producing a purple patch rarely seen in the NBL with four three-pointers in 2.21 that gave the Phoenix a seven-point lead at the first break.

In the second, Broekhoff picked up where Gliddon left off, nailing a pair of deep threes as that pair combined for an insanely accurate 7-9 from the outside to halftime.

But the Phoenix's defence was off and they allowed the Bullets to whittle away the lead, which was just three at the half. Coach Simon Mitchell begged for a defensive lift, but the mistakes continued in the third and it allowed the Bullets — keyed by imports Lamar Patterson and Robert Franks — to remain within four at the final break.

 As the pressure turned up, both teams made mistakes but it was the Phoenix who were just able to make the most of it, a pair of clutch free throws from Broekhoff after a huge defensive rebound sealing the result.

Plugged back into the starting five after he battled Covid, Munford was as smooth as silk, killing the Bullets in pick n roll situations, setting up his teammates with four assists and getting to his spots for 15 points.

(Brandon Ashley lay up.)

With Zhou Qi and Brandon Ashley in foul trouble, workhorse Dane Pineau was called into action in the first half and particularly enjoyed the two-man game with Munford.

After what seemed like a game every second day for the past fortnight, the Phoenix now have a chance for a forensic look at their game plan and make any tweaks they need to clean up before a date with the Perth Wildcats next Saturday. They owe the Wildcats after a 22-point embarrassment in their last meeting.

The Result

South East Melbourne Phoenix 98-94 Brisbane Bullets
Crowd: 3252

(Munford got his feet back after coming back from Covid and the game on Thursday.)

The Numbers

Phoenix
Gliddon: 20 points, 6-6 3PM
Broekhoff: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 3PM
Munford: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Creek: 15 points
Ashley: 13 points, 6 rebounds

Bullets
Patterson: 27 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
Franks: 23 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists
Drmic: 11 points

The Turning Point

Munford Goes Coast to Coast
As the Bullets attacked and tried to cut into the lead, Munford provided a steadying hand at the end of the third quarter, steaming down the floor and blowing by two Bullets to finish at the cup as time expired and give them a six-point buffer at the last break. Broekhoff’s corner three with four minutes left established a five-point lead and then his defensive rebound and free throws at the end were vital.

(Mitch Creek had 15 points against Brisbane.)

Player of the Game

Ryan Broekhoff and Cam Gliddon
Another shared one, the two boys were unconscious from deep, draining 10 between them off only 13 attempts. Glizzo did not miss from the field for his 20 points, while Rowdy added eight rebounds to his 18-point night — a great bounce back from both boys.

(Cam Gliddon was on fire with 6-6 from the 3 point line.)

Play of the Game

Glizzo at the Buzzer!
Gliddon was like a laser beam in the first quarter – every time he shot it, you knew it was going in. So, when Lamar Patterson had a bad turnover that gave the ball back to the Phoenix with 3.8 left in the opener, it was always going to land in his hands. His pretty step back three touched nothing but net and would have made James Harden proud. It was a fourth from four attempts and gave the Phoenix a seven-point quarter-time lead.

(Ashley and Creek celebrate after the thriller win against Brisbane.)

From the Coach

“We’ve been waiting on Glizzo to come back, our team really needs his shooting. We’ve been really poor shooting the ball most of this season and he’s a big part of what we are. It was good to see it back tonight.”
 – Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell on Cam Gliddon’s return to form

From the Player

“It’s been a few games in a row now where my body feels great. Before that, when I was running up and down, I didn’t feel right. I just had the focus tonight if I was open it was going up, no matter what. My body felt the best it’s been for a long time. I just hope to continue it and keep building..”
 – Cam Gliddon after his best game of the season.

Tickets to Saturday's home game against Perth Wildcats - CLICK HERE

Phoenix Media (19/2/22)