A brilliant triple-double to Zylan Cheatham and a stunning third quarter from Bryce Cotton propelled the Adelaide 36ers to a commanding 28-point win in an at-times spiteful contest against the Illawarra Hawks on Saturday night.

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Cheatham was outstanding throughout to record his first NBL triple-double with 21 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists, while Cotton overcame a quiet first half to pour in 17 points in the third term at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

With the home side leading by 27 points late in the final term, William Hickey shoved Nick Rakocevic in the chest after his physical interaction with Makur Maker, which led to a heated all-in scuffle.

“This is getting out of hand now. We didn’t need this,” John Casey said in commentary.

Illawarra coach Justin Tatum held onto Rakocevic as the scrum rolled into the Hawks’ bench, with Maker ejected from the game for his part in the altercation.

Tatum took a dim view of the way the incident was officiated after the game.

“It was unfortunate … (Maker) shouldn’t have been kicked out,” Tatum said.

“He should not have been kicked out, but if he was, then both of them (including Rakocevic) should have been kicked out. But, you know, Adelaide’s Adelaide, so it is what it is.

“There’s no way MK should have got two technical fouls and kicked out, and Adelaide shoot four free throws and get the ball.”

Teenager Raheim Brown Jr ended the game in fine style, the 16-year-old bringing the home fans to their feet with a last-gasp triple.

It was the seventh-ranked Sixers against the last-placed Hawks, but with a 5-6 win-loss record, Adelaide had just one more win than Tatum’s side.

The gap in class between the sides soon became evident, however, as the 36ers jumped out to a 12-point lead at half-time that turned into a 25-point deficit at the last break.

Three-point shooting was a feature of Adelaide’s win, the home side finishing with 14-of-29 shooting at 48 per cent to the Hawks’ 29 per cent.

The 36ers have struggled to look after the ball at times this season, but committed just eight turnovers to Illawarra’s 17.

It was Adelaide’s biggest win in a hot-and-cold first season under Trevor Gleeson.

“That’s how we want to play Adelaide 36ers basketball,” Gleeson said.

“It’s to defensively get after teams, offensively keep on sharing the ball, find the open man, and we executed great today.

“We’ve had a rough schedule at the start, without a question, and preparation time has been limited, especially at home, but we had some good practices this week.

“So, I’m really happy with how the guys played, and now the challenge for us is to be consistent.”

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CAMERA BREAK

The home side led 38-29 midway through the second quarter when the game was stopped for several minutes.

The odd reason for the break was that Todd Blanchfield’s missed triple attempt had bounced behind the backboard and dislodged the broadcast camera.

The referees stopped the game for fear of the piece of equipment falling on a player, with play restarting after a ladder was eventually located and the camera back in position.

The break didn’t halt Adelaide’s momentum, with John Jenkins firing in four three-pointers for the term to lead his side with 15 points at the main break with perfect 5-of-5 shooting from long range.

Cotton had just four points on 1-of-9 shooting in the first half, but Cheatham (11 points) and Rakocevic (9) stepped up at the scoring end.

Tyler Harvey had a game-high 17 points at halftime, but Illawarra turned the ball over 11 times and trailed by 12 points.

No other Hawk had double figures with Kelan Martin next best with seven, while Maker scoreless and Sam Froling and Milton Doyle with three points apiece.

COTTON FIRES

The Sixers accelerated away with an impressive 23-10 run to start the second half after a cold Cotton got hot.

The superstar was leading Illawarra on his own late in the third term with his 17 points to the visitors’ 15 as he put on a shooting masterclass.

Heading into the round, Adelaide ranked ninth in the league for points per game with an average of 91, but Trevor Gleeson’s side had 85 on the board at the last break.

ROAD WARRIORS

Saturday night’s clash was Illawarra’s third in a hectic five games on the road in 15 days.

Wins against the Wildcats in Perth and the Taipans in Cairns got the mega road trip off on a good note before the loss to the Sixers, with games against South East Melbourne and a return trip to Perth to come before they head home.

The 36ers are back in action on Thursday night when Melbourne United visit the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.



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