ADELAIDE 36ers have just four quarters of basketball to preserve their championship dream after a night of adversity and drama at Hisense Arena.
The Sixers battled bravely against Melbourne United in a pulsating game three of the NBL grand final in Melbourne on Friday night, but ultimately fell short in a 101-98 loss.
Nathan Sobey’s halftime ejection and key man Josh Childress’ absence cost Adelaide dearly, as it returned home trailing 2-1 in the best-of-five series ahead of Sunday’s do-or-die clash.
Joey Wright’s men recovered from a slow start to hit the front midway through the second quarter on the back of strong displays by Daniel Johnson (20 points) and Ramone Moore (18).
But a loss of composure after tempers flared with scores level at the main break helped United build a seemingly unassailable 11-point lead thanks to star man Casper Ware (25). Amazingly the 36ers hung in the contest and clawed back to within two with 20 seconds left, as Majok Deng (16 points, eight rebounds) had a big impact off the bench.
Adelaide forced the ball loose with 14 seconds remaining, but a scramble on the pine ended with a Melbourne possession.
Ware missed one of his two free throws after the Sixers forced the foul, before Deng hit the rim with a three-point attempt on the buzzer as United held on for a tense victory.
US guard and former Melbourne player Moore came into the starting five for countryman Childress, who fractured his shoulder in Sunday’s resounding Adelaide Arena triumph.
Wright continued his media snub after being fined $ 5000 by the league this week for comments about refereeing standards in game one.
“We’re going to do the best we can,” was all the coach would repeat in his pre-game and halftime Fox Sports interviews.
The Sixers wilted on the road in the opening match of the series and again they allowed Melbourne to take the ascendancy as the home side built an 11-point quarter-time lead.
Ware got the early jump on Shannon Shorter (15 points), racking up 10 early after the pair traded pre-game verbals during the week.
Mitch Creek (eight rebounds) got the visitors on the board with a lay-up, then produced a moment of magic to set up a Moore bucket with a behind the back pass.
But late triples to veteran David Andersen and David Barlow gave United the ascendancy at the first break.
Adelaide sprung to life in the second as it upped its defensive intensity and found its range on offence to take the lead for the first time.
Deng pulled down a huge defensive board, indicative of the visitors winning rebounds 37-36 for the night, and Johnson landed a massive three-pointer.
The bucket started a nine-point scoring run which drew Adelaide level, before Shorter put the Sixers in front.
Casey Prather (23 points) hit a three in the dying moments of the half to level the score. Sobey then squared up to the US import and appeared to push his forehead in the face of his opponent.
Players from both teams piled in for some push and shove, before heading to the rooms at the end of a frenetic first half.
Sobey was ejected from the game as the second half started and United pushed out to a six-point lead at the final change.
Drmic was perhaps fortunate to escape with just a foul when he used his shoulder to halt Goulding and Barlow hit two more crucial triples in the third.
