Sobey brilliance not quite enough on Xmas Eve for Bullets

Brisbane Bullets captain Nathan Sobey did all he could to get a win on his return to the City of Churches but it wasn’t quite to be with the Adelaide 36ers holding out the visitors for the 95-88 Christmas Eve victory. 

Not only was Sobey making his return to Adelaide where his NBL career took off, it was the 100th appearance in the league for Isaac White as well back in his hometown, but the Bullets had to fightback from a slow start. 

Even after conceding the game's first seven points and finding themselves down by as much as 12 points, the Bullets kept fighting and it was seven straight points late in the piece largely on the back offensive rebounds to Tyrell Harrison that brought scores back level. 

With Sobey on his way to a career-best 36 points as well, the Bullets looked likely to go on with the job to get the victory leading into Christmas, but the Sixers responded to finish the better in the dying stages to claim the seven-point win. 

The Bullets are now 7-10 on the season following a third successive defeat but it was a special Christmas Eve performance from Sobey who delivered 36 points, three rebounds and two assists on shooting 14/25 from the field. 

Sam McDaniel stepped up impressively too for 16 points and seven rebounds with Harrison contributing nine points and eight rebounds. 

Isaac White added seven points and three rebounds in his 100th game while Aron Baynes had six points and two boards, Chris Smith five points, Josh Bannan four points and 10 rebounds, Mitch Norton three points and three steals, and Rocco Zikarsky two points, three rebounds and two blocks. 

DJ Vasiljevic top-scored for Adelaide with 23 points with Jacob Wiley adding 21 points and 12 rebounds while Trey Kell III added 18 points and Isaac Humphries 14. 

The two teams met in the opening game of NBL24 and on that occasion Adelaide scored the first 15 points before Brisbane worked on top for the eventual 15-point win. It was a similar start this time around with the Sixers scoring the first seven points in the first 1:08. 

Justin Schueller had to call a quick timeout but got the response with the Bullets coming out to hit the first seven points. Captain Nathan Sobey was feeling good back in the city he became a star and he scored 10 of Brisbane's first 12 points to give his team the lead. 

However, Adelaide ended the opening period with three-pointers to Jacob Wiley, Mitch McCarron and DJ Vasiljevic to take a 27-23 lead into quarter-time. 

Vasiljevic was feeling good for Adelaide and two more threes early in the second quarter helped the home team to a 10-point lead, and that's where it would stay going into half-time. 

Sobey was doing his best to keep the Bullets in touch and went into the half with 19 points on 7/14 shooting, but the rest of his team only managed 23 points on 9/23 shooting. 

Brisbane did come out to start the second half encouragingly with the opening five points from Sam McDaniel and Mitch Norton. 

Adelaide did manage to push back out to a 12-point edge but Brisbane wouldn’t go away and a late block from Rocco Zikarsky on Kyrin Galloway, and a late bucket to McDaniel closed the gap to seven at three quarter-time. 

Sobey then completed a three-point play to open the final frame to make it a four-point ball game but the 36ers continued to have the answers and were back out to a nine-point advantage with 5:30 to play. 

Out of a timeout, McDaniel hit a three to bring the margin back to six and Sobey did the same to make it three with Scott Ninnis calling for time with 4:44 on the clock. 

Brisbane weren’t done with yet and it was an individual run of seven straight points from Tyrell Harrison that gave the Bullets the momentum. His offensive rebounding became crucial and he made three successive buckets including converting one into a three-point play. 

That had scores all level with 1:35 to play but Adelaide scored the next eight points in response to secure the seven-point home win on Christmas Eve. 

After getting back to Brisbane to celebrate Christmas, the Bullets will turn their attention to Wednesday night's home clash against the New Zealand Breakers at Nissan Arena. 

It's the first of a two-game home stand to close out 2023 with the Bullets to then host the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Saturday December 30. 

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 12 

BRISBANE BULLETS 88 (Sobey 36, McDaniel 16, Harrison 9) 

ADELAIDE 36ERS 95 (Vasiljevic 23, Wiley 21, Kell III 18) 

BOX SCORE