Kai Sotto explosion goes for naught as Adelaide falls to Brisbane

MANILA, Philippines – Kai Sotto’s career game for the Adelaide 36ers went to waste as they suffered a heartbreaking 93-85 loss to the Brisbane Bullets in the Australia National Basketball League (NBL) on Monday, April 11.

Sotto eclipsed his previous high of 14 points and topscored for a career-best 21 markers on a very efficient 7-of-8 shooting to go along with 3 rebounds in just under 18 minutes of action for the 36ers.

With the score knotted at 41-all at halftime, the Bullets turned on the jets in the third period and outscored the 36ers, 25-15, for a comfortable 66-56 cushion entering the fourth and final frame.

A three-pointer by Brisbane’s Tom Digbeu in the first possession of the payoff period extended the Bullets’ lead to its biggest at 13, 69-56, but Sotto kept the 36ers within striking distance as he dropped 7 points in the first three minutes of the quarter.

The 7-foot-3 Filipino big man Sotto, however, failed to keep his hot run going as he was subbed out of the game with just 6:30 left on the clock and Brisbane still on top, 76-66.

After checking back in at the 2:29 mark, Sotto once again made his presence felt and helped the 36ers cut the lead to just 2 points, 87-85, off a pair of clutch free throws with only 27 seconds remaining.

Unfortunately for Sotto and the rest of the 36ers, their late comeback attempt fell short as Brisbane’s Jason Cadee iced the game with a triple in the ensuing play.

Cadee, Digbeu, and Lamar Patterson dropped 15 points each for Brisbane, while Deng Deng added 14 points and 8 rebounds.

On the other side, Mitch Mccaron backstopped Sotto with 17 points, while Daniel Johnson posted a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds for Adelaide, which absorbed its fourth straight loss and slipped further down the standings with a 7-17 record.

Sotto will look to sustain his stellar play for the 36ers when they go up against the Perth Wildcats on Thursday, April 14, at 7:30 pm (Manila time).