Popcorn may be needed for the opening game of Round 8 in the NBL as bad blood threatens to spill over when the Brisbane Bullets take on the Adelaide 36ers. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:30pm (AEDT).
A war of words has erupted this week off the court, following the clubs fiery match last Saturday, where the Bullets came away with a monster 18-point win on the road.
Daniel Kickert, Brisbane’s veteran centre was found guilty of headbutting Anthony Drmic during the contest and it has grown on social media since then.
With Kickert taking a $1000 fine to avert suspension, he took to Twitter in a now deleted post that read ‘can’t wait to play the Adelaide thirty stitches #dibberdobberswearnappies’. (sic)
Adelaide coach Joey Wright then fired back, saying he was looking forward to ‘playing the Brisbane B iches (sic) as well. See you Thursday’.
Jerome Randle then got involved in the action, defending his coach. Both Wright and Kickert have both been fined a further $500 for the outbursts.
All of that sets the scene for what should be an intriguing contest, with emotions likely to spill over. For the Bullets in particular there is also plenty riding on it.
With their guards starting to get a consistent offence running, which saw them dish out over 100 points against the defensively incompetent 36ers, they can really get on a roll here.
The scary thing for the rest of the league is that it simply doesn’t feel like the Bullets have played all that well thus far, yet they sit second on the ladder with a record of six wins and four losses, only behind the Sydney Kings.
The 36ers meanwhile, without captain Mitch Creen put on an early resurgence, but they have simply leaked too many points to win games.
Having played nine games in the first seven rounds, they have only won three and are now glued to the bottom of the table.
Jerome Randle, the man that led them to within a game of the finals last season has been consistently getting in foul trouble limiting his impact, and they are letting in a ridiculous 97 points per game.
While there have been some bright spots – Nathan Sobey comes to mind, there has been little else to write home about for the Adelaide-based club.
Prediction
The Bullets picked up a big win on the road last weekend and are proving themsevles as genuine contenders. This result just about writes itself, with the 36ers probably going to face more tough times before they get to better ones.
Really, we are all just hanging out to see if there are any flare ups after the mid-week social media battle.
Bullets by 15.
Be sure to join The Roar for live scores and coverage of this opening Round 8 fixture from 7:30pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add your own comments in the section below.
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Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks for joining me this evening on The Roar for our live coverage of the 2016-17 NBL season as the Adelaide 36ers beat the Brisbane Bullets. Hopefull you enjoyed the coverage. I'll be back for the next game of this round on Saturday when the Sydney Kings hit the road to play Melbourne United at 7:30pm (AEDT). Bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
FULLTIME The Adelaide 36ers have put on an offensive masterclass on the road to grab an important 19-point victory over the Brisbane Bullets on the road. After losing big last Saturday to the Bullets and getting engaged in a war of words on Twitter during the week, the 36ers put all that behind them, with Jerome Randle leading the way. In a physical game, the Bullets couldn't keep their turnover count down in the first quarter and were losing by 18 at the end of it, which, without their level of play ever getting over Adelaide who shut them down at every opportunity was always going to be too much to overcome. The 36ers focus now switches to Monday night when they travel to Sydney for a tough match against the league leading Sydney Kings while the Bullets have the rest of the week off to gear up for a trip to Perth next Thursday, and then a game at home against the Cairns Taipans. Quarter-by-Quarter scoring breakdown 1st Quarter Bullets 18 - 36ers 36 2nd Quarter Bullets 20 - 36ers 21 3rd Quarter Bullets 17 - 36ers 20 4th Quarter Bullets 28 - 36ers 24 Match Statistics Field Goals: Bullets (30/69 @ 43%), 36ers (33/55 @ 60%) Three Pointers: Bullets (5/23 @ 21%), 36ers (9/19 @ 47%) Free Throws: Bullets (18/21 @ 85%), 36ers (26/34 @ 76%) Rebounds: Bullets (27), 36ers (37) Assists: Bullets (9), 36ers (18) Steals: Bullets (11), 36ers (7) Blocks: Bullets (3), 36ers (2) Turnovers: Bullets (14), 36ers (17) Points in paint: Bullets (40), 36ers (36) Second chance points: Bullets (14), 36ers (10) Points off turnovers: Bullets (15), 36ers (21) Bench points: Bullets (25), 36ers (28) Stats Leaders Brisbane Bullets Points: Torrey Craig (20), Jermaine Beal (16), Shaun Bruce (12) Rebounds: Torrey Craig (9), Jermaine Beal (3), Adam Gibson (3) Assists: Shaun Bruce (3), Adam Gibson (2) ADELAIDE 36ERS Points: Jerome Randle (22), Nathan Sobey, Daniel Johnson (18) Rebounds: Daniel Johnson, Anthony Drmic (6), Jerome Randle (4) Assists: Jerome Randle (7), Terrance Ferguson (3) FINAL SCORE Brisbane Bullets 83 Adelaide 36ers 101
Scott Pryde
Expert
In a surprise to no one, Jerome Randle is our man of the match.
Scott Pryde
Expert
FULLTIME That offensive play just about sums up the night for the Bullets. No direction, poor execution and Te Rangi misses a three pointer. The 36ers will hold for the final shot as the seconds tick away, and it's Randle who throws up a three, but misses. That'll do us in a 36ers demolition of the Bullets by 18. Brisbane Bullets - 83 Adelaide 36ers - 101
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 0' Sobey now finds himself at the line with 29 seconds to go and he makes one. Bullets - 83 36ers - 101
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Expert
Q4 0' Bruce makes both. Bullets - 83 36ers - 100
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 0' This game continues to get drawn out as Bruce gets fouled and goes to the line. Bullets - 81 36ers - 100
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 0' Randle makes both. Bullets - 81 36ers - 100
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 0' Turnovers and misses at either ends as this game winds down to a sloppy ending. Bruce makes a pull up before Te Rangi is fouled for a monster screen in the halfcourt on Randle. Bullets - 81 36ers - 98
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 1' Sobey good on the extra. Bullets - 79 36ers - 98
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 1' Ally-oop upon the resumption as Craig converts before the 36ers slow things down. Sobey on the wing and he gets around the defence but misses baseline. Quick steal from Drmic before he links with Sobey who lays it in and draws the foul. Bullets - 77 36ers - 97
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 2' Time out called. Bullets - 77 36ers - 95
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Expert
Q4 2' Drmic makes both. Bullets - 77 36ers - 95
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 2' Te Rangi into Craig for Brisbane who misses the shot, hustles for the offensive board and commits the foul. Drmic walks the floor and he will shoot free throws. Bullets - 77 36ers - 93
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 2' That one fouled Petrie out of the contest as well. Randle makes both from the line. Bullets - 77 36ers - 93
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 2' Randle decides to take on absolutely everyone as he brings it down the floor and draws the fou. He will walk up court to the line. Bullets - 77 36ers - 91
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 2' Johnson to the line and he misses both. Bullets - 77 36ers - 91
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 2' Drmic drives into the paint and drops one in high off the glass before Beal does the same through some heavy traffic for Brisbane. Randle draws a quick foul, and then another from the inbound - this one on Petrie. Bullets - 77 36ers - 91
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 3' This is an incredibly sloppy finish down the stretch to this one. Fouls left, right and centre. Bullets with an inbound from the baseline now and it's Gibson to Jervis and then Bruce who lays it in off the glass. Bullets - 75 36ers - 89
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 3' Johnson misses both. Bullets - 73 36ers - 89