Preview: NBL26 R15 Home v Adelaide 36ers

The Brisbane Bullets will be without Tyrell Harrison and Javon Freeman-Liberty, but gain the services of Hunter Maldonado as they host the top-of-the-table Adelaide 36ers on Sunday afternoon.

It's only the fourth day of 2026 but already the Bullets will be playing a second game as they take on the 36ers at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre with tip-off set for 3:30pm on Sunday.

There is mixed news on the personnel front for the Bullets with imposing centre Harrison out of the game having entered concussion protocols after he had a nasty clash with captain Mitch Norton in the second quarter of Thursday's loss also at home to the Perth Wildcats.

Freeman-Liberty also injured a hamstring late in that game and will miss the match up with the 36ers on Sunday, but the good news is that injury replacement import guard Maldonado has been cleared to play.

He was signed as a replacement for the injured Dakota Mathias who fractured his scapula back on December 11 against the Illawarra Hawks.

Maldonado started the season playing with the South East Melbourne Phoenix, but when they decided to go in another direction, he was the ideal player on the open market for the Bullets to snap up to provide some point guard support to captain Norton.

While the situation with injuries is tough for interim coach Darryl McDonald to deal with given Casey Prather, Lamar Patterson, Mathias and Taine Murray are already sidelined, he knows the Bullets just have to keep trying to compete as hard as they can.

"It's scary and this is what we're dealing with and it's something that we've dealt with all year," McDonald said.

"Injuries have been a problem for us and I want these guys to play, and I want them to play hard, but there's a physicality to the game that takes it out of you.

"I look at someone like Norto and he is someone that wears his heart on his sleeve, and if I can get everybody on that same page we may give ourselves a chance.

"That's the main thing but it's losing guys and Javon now will also be out with his hamstring so now we're down another guard but we just have to put a game plan together, try to stick to it and see if we can come up with a win."

It's a significant test for the Bullets to play the 36ers on Sunday with Adelaide fresh off beating the Sydney Kings at home on Friday night which improves them to an 18-4 record to remain clear in top position.

The two teams have already met twice this season with the first encounter in Adelaide early in the season with the Bullets putting in a strong showing before only falling seven points short.

The more recent contest was at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on December 5 with the 36ers going on to score the 90-65 victory.

McDonald is fully aware of the challenge that's ahead of the Bullets on Sunday against the 36ers, but he's looking forward to finding out what sort of fighting spirit his playing group who are available will show on their home floor.

"Right now we're in a position where we don't have nothing to lose and you go out and you get an opportunity to knock off the top team which would say a lot about the group," McDonald said.

"That's where it comes down to having that mentality of competing every time they step on the floor, but it's hard when you keep losing guys and guys are going down, and the physicality takes it out of you.

"Then you look down the sideline and you don’t have guys you can throw in and even late in this game, I was looking at Norto and he said he'd go back in after already playing nearly 30 minutes, but he'd continue to go in and that's just the competitor he is that he's willing to do that even with the score like it was.

"I wish we all had that same mindset."

GAME INFO

Who: Brisbane Bullets vs Adelaide 36ers

Tip off: 3:30pm (AEST), Sunday 4 January, 2026

Where: Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Tickets: Available Here

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