Melbourne ousts Kai Sotto, Adelaide from NBL playoff contention

MANILA, Philippines – Melbourne United strengthened their 2023 NBL playoff contention bid at the expense of the Adelaide 36ers’ own title hopes in a crucial 116-107 home win on Sunday, February 5.

In a must-win situation for both sides, Melbourne rose to a 15-13 record in the sixth and final play-in seed while Adelaide barely missed the cut, dropping to eighth at 13-15.

Kai Sotto practically got reduced to a spectator in the crucial tiff as he lost his starting spot and only played 1 minute and 45 seconds, recording 1 rebound, 2 fouls, and 1 turnover in the first quarter, and never returned.

Former NBA player Rayjon Tucker led the all-important win with 31 points on 11-of-21 shooting, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Australian national team member Chris Goulding added 23 points on a 5-of-13 clip from three.

Off a 102-all deadlock in the final 2:20 of regulation, Goulding drilled a clutch three with 1:40 left, 105-102, before Tucker soared in for a layup at the 40-second mark to mount a 107-103 lead right after Adelaide’s Sunday Dech split his free throws.

Dech scored two more with 34 ticks left to get within 2, 105-107, but the 36ers’ top scorer Antonius Cleveland hacked Xavier Rathan-Mayes for an and-one conversion and a 110-105 lead with just 16 seconds to play to all but seal the deal.

Cleveland paced the Sixers in a heartbreaking end to their playoff bid with 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting and 5-of-7 from deep, while Dech sparked the bench with 20 points in as many minutes.

Top-ranked Sydney (20-8), meanwhile, also eliminated seventh-place Perth (14-14) from the running in a simultaneous game to the Melbourne-Adelaide affair.