James Murphy
THE Adelaide 36ers took centre stage at Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre last Wednesday night.
The state’s National Basketball League team played a preseason match against Brisbane Bullets in front of a near-capacity crowd – and it did not disappoint.
After a neck-and-neck battle over four quarters it came down to a thrilling finish with Kendric Davis scoring a four-point play to win the match by one with five seconds to spare.
The point guard is a new addition to the Adelaide roster and has certainly made some waves in the lead up to the NBL season.
The 36ers held onto a slim one-point lead at half time, while did manage to stretch the margin out to 11 early in the final quarter.
However, Brisbane fought back and with a couple of minutes remaining had taken the lead.
With seconds to spare the Bullets held a three-point lead.
That was when Davis drained a three-point bomb, receiving a free throw in the process, which was scored to win the match.
Mount Gambier Pioneer Nick Marshall was another major drawcard for local basketball fans on the night and he took to the court for the 36ers as he prepares for his second full-time season at Adelaide.
Marshall had a solid night out to score 18 points, bested only by Davis who top scored for the match with 25, while Brisbane’s Tohi Smith-Milner had 19.
Also attracting plenty of crowd interest was Brisbane centre Rocco Zikarsky, with the 18 year old looming large at a staggering 220cm.
In other 36ers news, former Mount Gambier Pioneer Tom Kubank has also been announced this week as a nominated replacement player for the upcoming NBL season.
