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Adelaide have sent star import Craig Randall II on his way after the flashy guard had a run-in with coach CJ Bruton.
There had been ongoing tension between Randall and the Sixers camp, which he had denied on social media, and the 26-year-old was unhappy with being demoted to the bench last week against Perth.
In his six games for Adelaide since starring in their NBA pre-season win over Phoenix, he was the team’s leading scorer with 20.33 points per game and was averaging 3 assists and 3.2 rebounds while shooting at a 48% clip. He was also the fourth-leading scorer in the NBL.
“I’m not saying that that was the only reason for this decision or where we’re at, but overall, yeah, he wasn’t happy with that,” Bruton said when asked about Randall’s reaction to being benched. “It’s always a number of things.
“There are always pros and cons in every player and every decision that’s made. I thought that where we sit and with the break and the timing of where we’re at, to be able to keep the team going in the right direction, I think was the right call.”
Craig Randall II of the Adelaide 36ers dribbles around Damion Lee of the Phoenix Suns. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Elsewhere, injuries to established Kings star Xavier Cooks and Breakers “Next Star” Rayan Rupert are the only concerns for those two teams heading into the FIBA break.
Cooks suffered ankle damage while Rupert has a suspected broken wrist after Sydney eked out an 81-77 win over the Breakers in Auckland to claim top spot at 7-2 ahead of their trans-Tasman rivals (6-3).
Kings coach Chase Buford said Cooks was looking at 2-4 weeks on the sidelines while his Breakers counterpart Mody Maor said “fingers crossed everything is OK” for Rupert as they await scans on the damage.
Cooks’ Sydney teammate Jaylin Galloway has been named to replace him in the squad to face Kazakhstan in Astana on Saturday (AEDT) but Basketball Australia is hopeful that Cooks could suit up for the clash with Tehran next Tuesday.
The Boomers had earlier announced Wildcats star Luke Travers would not be travelling to Kazakhstan “due to load management concerns”, which must be coming from Cleveland, worried their stashed NBA Draft pick could get injured.
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Cairns, who rose to a 6-3 record with their 97-72 domination of Melbourne United on Friday night, are the only other team that can be satisfied with their first six rounds heading into the mid-season hiatus for international fixtures before the NBL resumes on November 17.
South East Melbourne have rebounded from a slow start to be 5-4 but lost their derby on Sunday to United, who have been equally hot and cold to be 5-5.
Tasmania (5-5) have failed to build any momentum while Perth (4-5), Adelaide (3-4) and Brisbane (3-5) are well below their expectations while the season has been disastrous thus far for Illawarra (with just one win from their first nine starts.
Cooks slams it home courtesy of yet another GORGEOUS Derrick Walton Jr dime ????
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Here’s all the post-game talking points after the Round 6 fixtures.
Illawarra 80 Adelaide 96 at WIN Entertainment Centre, 7.30pm AEDT
Adelaide fended off speculation suggesting import Craig Randall II – the NBL’s leading scorer at 21.8 per game – was causing drama after he was involved in a heated exchange on the sidelines with coach CJ Bruton as they racked up losses the previous week at home to the Breakers and on the road to the Phoenix.
Randall sat out this game with a bruised sternum but Robert Franks and Daniel Johnson dominated the Hawks, whose interior defence is one of many issues rookie coach Jacob Jackomas needs to address quick smart if they have any hope of salvaging their season.
They have subsequently terminated Randall’s contract.
Perth 77 Tasmania 85 at RAC Arena, 9.30pm AEDT
The JackJumpers failed to contain Bryce Cotton, who poured in a game-high 26 points, but yet again for Perth, the support cast offered little else with Jesse Wagstaff’s 13 the next best contribution.
Perth’s fifth loss in a row was the first time they’d gone one such a streak since 2005.
Josh Magette is hitting his long bombs again – he drained six threes in his 18 points whie Jack McVeigh led them with 22.
Cairns 97 Melbourne 72 at Cairns Convention Centre, 7.30pm AEDT
The rise and rise of Keanu Pinder continued in the tropics as the Taipans blew Melbourne away, blowing the lead out by as much as 40 before the visitors put slight respectability in the final margin during an extended garbage time.
Pinder starred for the Snakes with 18 points and 11 rebounds while back-up point guard Ben Ayre had his best tally of the season with 16.
Tasmania 72 Brisbane 74 at MyState Bank Arena, 5.30pm AEDT
The JackJumpers crowd thought they were headed to overtime when Jack McVeigh drove to the hoop late but his last-ditch shot was off the mark and Brisbane recorded their first win of the season over a team not named Illawarra.
Brisbane’s big three of Aron Baynes, Nathan Sobey and Tyler Johnson are starting to get some real on-court chemistry going. The break could be coming at a bad time for the Bullets as they’re just starting to get some momentum so regaining that in a fortnight will be key to their chances of climbing their way up into title contention.
Adelaide 89 Perth 94 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, 8pm AEDT
The chances of import Brady Manek seeing out the season with the Wildcats are now better than slim after he stepped up with 25 points to help his side break a five-game losing skid.
It couldn’t have come at a more opportune time with Bryce Cotton being swarmed upon by Adelaide’s D to be held to just one shot from nine attempts in the first three quarters before a late burst lifted his haul to 15. Former Breakers guard Corey Webster found some form at last too with 18 points.
Adelaide his just six of 21 from three-point range while Perth hit 15 of 37 – crucial in the final wash-up.
NZ Breakers 77 Sydney 81 at Spark Arena, 2pm AEDT
Sydney became the first team to score more than 77 against the Breakers since Melbourne’s 101-97 overtime win in the season opener.
Rayan Ruypert, the 18-year-old French prospect who could be a first-round pick in next year’s NBA Draft, may have a fractured wrist, which could put him out for the rest of the season, after falling awkwardly late in the first half.
Hopefully not too much damage has been done to his wrist or his draft prospects.
Xavier Cooks only played 13 minutes after hobbling off with an ankle problem and he won’t be able to take his place in the Boomers’ squad for the World Cup qualifiers.
The Kings were a +16 during his time on the floor and with star guard Derrick Walton jnr having an uncharacteristically off night with just one of his 11 field goal attempts going down, the champions did well to come away from Auckland with the W.
Melbourne 110 South East Melbourne 85 at John Cain Arena, 4pm AEDT
When Chris Goulding has a hot night, United usually win. He doesn’t have them as frequently as a few years ago but he hit seven threes in his 30-point haul over the Phoenix as they turned a 52-49 half-time lead into an emphatic victory.
It’s far from doom and gloom for the Phoenix who went into the match without Chinese centre Zhou Qi (calf) and Kyle Adnam (COVID-19 protocols) and veteran shooter Ryan Broekhoff was a late withdrawal after tweaking his hamstring during the warm-up.
Although coach Simon Mitchell was clearly unimpressed with the effort in the second-half capitulation. “That third quarter was disgusting.”
