Clark impresses as Phoenix blow out 36ers despite thirty points from Cotton

Written by Lachlan Sherriff

(Photo by James Worsfold/Getty Images)

An 11:30AM tip-off might not be the ideal starting time for a basketball game, but with the first-placed Adelaide 36ers taking on the second-placed SEM Phoenix, it was never going to matter, as RAC Arena packed out for the final NBL game of HoopsFest. 

And with Wildcats’ legend, and now 36ers guard Bryce Cotton back in town, it was never a debate on who the locals were going to be supporting. In fact, you’d be forgiven for thinking the game was being played in Adelaide.

Those fans would have been happy with the 36ers’ start, as they took a 9-2 lead early with four points from Bryce Cotton. But incredibly, the Phoenix would fire back with a 16-0 run, before a John Jenkins three finally gave Adelaide their first basket in over four and a half minutes.

Nonetheless, the Phoenix would hold a 31-23 lead at quarter-time, as Ian Clark and Jordan Hunter led the way for South East Melbourne with seven points apiece.

Cotton finished the first quarter with six points, while teammate Isaac White was the game’s top scorer at quarter-time with eight.

The Phoenix would continue to score throughout the second quarter, leading 53-43 at half-time. But the good news for the 36ers - and the locals in the crowd - was that Bryce Cotton was beginning to take over the game, ending the first half with sixteen points.

Cotton would add another seven points to his tally in the third quarter, but the Phoenix wouldn’t back down. Incredibly, all five of their starters had scored twelve or more points by three-quarter-time, with seventeen from Ian Clark, sixteen from Jordan Hunter, thirteen from Wes Iwundu and twelve apiece from John Brown III and Owen Foxwell.

(Photo by James Worsfold/Getty Images)

South East Melbourne led 81-69 at three-quarter-time, with the five Phoenix starters having outscored the entire 36ers team. And with Adelaide having not led since the first quarter, the league leaders looked in danger of losing only their sixth game of the season.

In the end, it wasn’t close. The Phoenix stormed home to a 108-89 win, putting themselves only two games behind Adelaide in the standings.

Bryce Cotton gave the locals what they wanted, ending the game with thirty points and six assists. But it was all about Ian Clark, who stepped up in the absence of Nathan Sobey with 27 points.

Despite a slow start to life in South East Melbourne, Clark had his best performance in Phoenix colours today, much to the delight of his teammates, who heavily embraced him after the game ended.

“It's great. It's one of the biggest things that I enjoy about coming to work every day because it doesn't feel like work. You got guys in the locker room that pull for each other. We get along. We hang out off the court. We’re always talking. We’re in group chats, things like that. And I think that's a big part of the culture that Josh and the Phoenix have built. And it's great to be a part of.”

- Ian Clark on the culture at SEM Phoenix

As for 36ers coach Mike Wells, he’s focusing on the bigger picture, despite this loss only putting the Phoenix two games behind Adelaide.

“Yeah, I gotta be honest with you. I don't (worry where the Phoenix are). You know, we've had a really good year. We've done a lot of really good things. I think that the more of the concern is the rhythm and the pace of our team. We obviously want to play well. I think we're pretty healthy. We've had an interesting week with time off and a new player coming in and adjusting and stuff like that. This was 1/33rd of our season, and they all are. And I'm not going to go overboard and say that this was a really big game? Would it have been nice to play better? Would it have been nice to win? Absolutely. We certainly didn't play Adelaide 36er basketball the way I wanted to today. But our goal is to be the best version of ourselves at the end. I mean, that's always the deal. So we are getting closer to the end. We're not at the end. And I hope this allows me as a coach to sort of get their attention and get the edge.”

- Mike Wells on if he's concerned about regular season standings

The 36ers will hit the road again as they travel down to New Zealand to take on the Breakers in their next game, while the Phoenix turn their attention to an Ignite Cup game at home on Wednesday, which coincidentally also happens to be against the Breakers.