Wells Pleased with Hard-Fought Road Win over Breakers
Adelaide 36ers Head Coach Mike Wells described the victory over the New Zealand Breakers as an “ugly win” but was pleased with his team's resilience on Thursday night. The Sixers triumphed 83-79 at Wolfbrook Arena in Christchurch, securing their first win at this venue in three attempts.
Bryce Cotton led the team, scoring 23 points, providing five assists, and making two crucial steals. Despite a late charge by the Breakers, the Sixers held firm to claim the win.
Leading into the game, Adelaide had won three of their last four matches against New Zealand, but the Breakers had taken each of the previous five encounters. The match featured significant momentum shifts, yet it was the Sixers who ultimately prevailed.
“I thought that was a really, really hard fought NBL game,” Wells said. “On the road, you've got to kind of bite and scrap and do a whole bunch of things, and sometimes it's not perfect and it's not pretty, but we got the win.”
“We gave up 33 points in the second quarter, and they scored 32 for the whole second half. That's what we've been preaching about.”
“I thought our transition defence was outstanding, particularly in the fourth (quarter), and I thought that we had some really good efforts and big games from a lot of different guys.”
“Of course, we want to clean it up a little bit at the end so it could be a little bit easier, but, you know, you give them credit, they fought, they scrapped, they fought, and we hung in there, and we got to win.”
This victory highlights the Sixers' ability to battle through adversity and execute strong defensive plays when it mattered most.