Adelaide 36ers captain Bryce Cotton has lifted his team to an unlikely victory in Tasmania, defeating the NBL ladder leaders, the JackJumpers, by six points.
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Cotton finished with a game high 35-points as he led his team to a 94-88 victory and their fourth win of the season, which could be the spark they needed to kick their season into gear.
After trailing by eight at the first break, Cotton led the fight back for the 36ers with big man Nick Rakocevic (13-points) and Zylan Cheatham (15-points).
It is the first loss for the JackJumpers in Tasmania this season having previously beaten both Melbourne teams at MyState Bank Arena.
JackJumpers’ leaders Taran Armstrong (20-points, 10 assists) and Will Magnay (19 points, six rebounds) led the fightback for Tasmania in the final quarter as they looked to come from nine points down but couldn’t get them across the line.
It is a quick turn around for coach Scott Roth and his men, as the JackJumpers face New Zealand on Sunday.
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WRAPPED UP IN COTTON
Tasmanian guard Nick Marshall was given a lockdown role on 36ers captain Bryce Cotton which saw him finish with no shots, two rebounds and no assists in the first half only to score his first two points in the final quarter, finishing with five-points. But Marshall got a valuable lesson as six-time NBL MVP Cotton showed off his dominance from all over the arch and beyond. Cotton on the other hand, finished with a game high 35-points to go with six rebounds and five assists.
COACH’S CLASSY MESSAGE
One notable person missing from Friday’s game was Adelaide coach Trevor Gleeson. He was attending his son’s graduation in Perth, which saw assistant coach Marko Marinovic take charge. JackJumpers coach Scott Roth revealed in his post-game press conference that he “actually congratulated” Gleeson for the decision. “For me particularly with where I’m at in my life, he’s promised his son he would be at his graduation about five years ago, and the chance to go back on this night to spend that time with his son — I told him he was never going to forget that,” Roth said. “So great kudos to him for his family-first mentality.”
BATTLE OF THE BIG MEN
36ers’ Nick Rakocevic came fired up and ready to battle with the JackJumpers captain Will Magnay with the push and shove continued throughout the full game. Rakocevic voiced his opinion to the umpires and the JackJumpers bench at one point but let his rebounds do the talking when both big men were on the court before he was ultimately booted from the game after fouling out with four minutes to go in the game.
WHISTLE AWAY REF
Like many games this season in the NBL, Friday nights clash between the Jackies and the 36ers was over officiated. There were times when the calls were made which wouldn’t have normally been called as the game heated up. But then there were times when the refs put the whistle away completely in times when the call was there to be blown.
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