The Adelaide 36ers suffered a 91-72 home defeat against the New Zealand Breakers on Sunday, marking their second consecutive heavy loss and their first home defeat of the season. The game, held at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre in front of a sellout crowd, saw the Breakers overcome the 36ers with a decisive 28-15 surge in the final quarter.
A key storyline was the performance of New Zealand’s point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who recorded 27 points and 10 assists, outperforming Adelaide’s six-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton. Cotton, who scored 19 points with six assists, has now been held to below his usual standards in back-to-back games, following a 15-point effort against the Illawarra Hawks just two nights prior. Jackson-Cartwright’s performance drew praise, with former Adelaide captain Dejan Vasiljevic describing him as a “once in a lifetime generational player” in the league.
Adelaide’s competitiveness throughout much of the match was largely maintained by American import Nick Rakocevic. He posted a career-high double-double with 29 points and 16 rebounds, including 17 points in the second quarter that helped keep the 36ers in contention. Despite his strong individual showing, the team struggled overall with energy and execution, according to Adelaide coach Trevor Gleeson. Gleeson cited a lack of urgency and poor shot selection, particularly criticizing the team’s slow ball movement and insufficient effort on the glass. “We wanted to get the 10,000 fans rocking, but we didn’t have any pop to get them rocking,” Gleeson said after the game.
The match also featured some controversy involving refereeing decisions. A notable missed call occurred in the third quarter when Rakocevic appeared to commit an unsportsmanlike foul against Mojave King, which went unpenalized despite being clearly visible to spectators and commentators. NBL veteran Derek Rucker criticized the missed foul, suggesting it was a significant refereeing oversight that could have impacted the game’s momentum.
Former 36ers captain Dejan Vasiljevic, now playing for New Zealand, made a notable impact in his return to Adelaide. Opening the scoring early, Vasiljevic finished with 15 points and received a standing ovation from the home crowd, reflecting the ongoing respect for the player despite his departure from the club earlier this year. “Bit emotional at the start ... I didn’t know what reception I would get,” Vasiljevic said after the game. “It was awesome to come back.”
The Breakers’ win marked their first victory away from home this season and handed Adelaide a second straight defeat by a double-digit margin, following a 22-point loss to the Illawarra Hawks on Friday. With shooting struggles and waning energy proving costly, the 36ers face mounting pressure to regroup as they prepare for upcoming fixtures.