Round 4 Preview v Sydney Kings

The Adelaide 36ers have had a week in between games for the first time this NBL season and now the Sixers look to make it four straight wins on Saturday night against the Sydney Kings.

The 36ers continue their run of home games at Adelaide Entertainment Centre to start the 2021 NBL season this Saturday night against the Kings in what is a rematch between the two teams from a week ago.

The Sixers won the first encounter last Saturday 85-80 in a good contest in front of a season-high crowd of 7,087 inside the Entertainment Centre.

It's an interesting situation now where both teams haven’t left Adelaide in the week since, haven't had another game in between and have now had the same week-long preparation for the rematch this Saturday night.

Adelaide comes into the game with a 4-2 record and on a three-game winning streak while Sydney is 1-3 and having lost their past two matches in-a-row.

The 36ers have played all six of their matches at home so far this season and haven’t left Adelaide since a pre-season trip to Cairns in early January. Meanwhile, the Kings haven’t been home since Boxing Day and have played all their matches on the road to date in 2021.

The Coach Reflects – Round 3 

Humphries and support case keep 36ers winning 

Looking back to last Saturday night's game, a 19-1 run from the 36ers either side of quarter-time blew the game open but the Kings did continue to fight and made a game of it.

It was back to just a three-point game with three minutes remaining before Sunday Dech and Isaac Humphries combined for a 6-0 run to steady the ship and end securing the 85-80 victory that put the 36ers on an impressive three-game winning streak.

There was a lot to like again for the Sixers in the performance with it once more led by imposing centre Isaac Humphries. He produced another 27 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.

He had plenty of support too with Daniel Johnson delivering 16 points, four rebounds and four assists, Tony Crocker 13 points, six boards and three assists, Sunday Dech 13 points and six rebounds, Donald Sloan five points and four assists, Josh Giddey five points and six rebounds, and Jack McVeigh four points and three boards.

Despite the Kings being struck with the injury bug minus Xavier Cooks, Daniel Kickert, Didi Louzada and Angus Glover, they put up a good fight led by rookie DJ Vasiljevic who had a career-best 28 points.

It has been quite the hectic schedule for the 36ers to start the season even if all the games have been at home. Since playing Melbourne United to open the season, the Sixers had played their first six matches in the space of 16 days.

That meant the week's rest in between games against the Kings was welcomed and coach Conner Henry is happy with how his group has come back and prepared for the rematch this Saturday night.

"We needed the week. It's allowed us to freshen up, give DJ a couple of days off his very talented legs and body, and I think he's recovered quickly and has been looking good in the last day or so in training," Henry said during #AskTheCoach thanks to Sports Card World on Sixers Fix with Scott Ninnis.

"Then anytime we can give Isaac with his knee some rest which is holding up great is helpful, and he's been good and Josh has got a little bit of rest and so has everybody. They've all really come through nicely this week."

He might be playing on the opposition team and hasn’t actually played an NBL game with the 36ers, but spending the week back in Adelaide has been a homecoming of sorts for Brad Newley.

He has never forgotten his roots despite everything he's achieved since leaving South Australia going on to become a dual Olympian, a superstar in Greece, Turkey, Lithuania and Spain, and now returning to the NBL with the Kings to now be a 220-game veteran.

He has started the season in strong form as well showing no signs of slowing down averaging 13.0 points and 4.8 rebounds a game.

He'll need to be someone the 36ers are mindful of on Saturday night, but he himself is confident of a rebound performance from the Kings in his old hometown. 

"We were a bit slow at the start and you might put that down to a bit of carryover from being away from a bit, and our roster situation a bit too," Newley said during the latest Sixers Fix with Scott Ninnis. 

"One of the kids we played was Archie and I presented him with his Year 12 jumper last year when he was just a fan in the stands. Now he's with us on the road and he's a good young kid. With Adelaide, they're different but at the same time they're not so different to what they were last year. 

"They put a lot of heat on the rim and shoot a lot of free-throws, and that's something we can do a better job on. Isaac Humphries is showing right now that he's putting up MVP type numbers and he's a guy that we have to be wary of, and DJ as well. 

"I thought Sunday Dech was very effective for them down the stretch too and their other guys did a good job too. 

"All of us need to step up in different ways and we put a press on late and got back within three points, and in hindsight maybe if we played a bit more in the halfcourt, we could have maybe got away with the result. 

"It was close but not good enough but I think the adjustment we'll make this week will help us for sure."

2020/21 Hungry Jack's NBL Season – Round 4

Adelaide 36ers v Sydney Kings
Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Saturday 7.30pm ACDT

Broadcast – ESPN, SBS on Demand, NBL TV, Twitch 

Tickets available by clicking here

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