Prather couldn't miss, dropping 33 on 36ers

• Casey Prather led the Brisbane Bullets with 33 points on 14/17 shooting in a 102-83 win over the Adelaide 36ers.
• Brisbane's early dominance, including Prather's 17 first-quarter points, set the tone despite Adelaide's resilience.
• The Bullets sealed the victory with a strong second half, supported by Tyrell Harrison's 19 points and 18 rebounds.

Casey Prather was unstoppable in the first half, scoring 22 points without missing a shot to lead the Brisbane Bullets to a 102-83 (Game Centre) Heritage Round against the Adelaide 36ers at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Friday December 6, 2024.

Prather finished with 33 points on 14-from-17 from the field and 4-from-5 from three-point range, as the Bullets snapped a two-game skid and improved to 5-7 on the season.

Prather set the tone early, dropping 17 points in the first quarter, not missing any of his seven shots, including a pair of three. He added another five points in the second period, going into halftime with 22 points on 9-from-9 shooting. Brisbane led by just six points at the break, 53-47.

The Bullets pulled away in the second half, with Prather hitting a key jumper midway through the third period to reignite Brisbane's momentum. In the fourth quarter Bullets sealed the 19-point win with an 11-0 run to kill it off.

While Prather was on fire Tyrell Harrison was DOMINANT. He finishing with monster double-double — 19 points and 18 rebounds — just a point and two rebounds away from a 20-20 double-double. Captain Mitch Norton added 17 points and five assists, while Tohi Smith-Milner contributed 11 points and James Batemon scored 10.

Brisbane shot an impressive 56 percent from the field as a team.

Adelaide, now 6-7 after a third straight loss, was led by Isaac Humphries with 16 points and six rebounds. Jason Cadee, Sunday Dech, and Nick Marshall each scored 13 points, while Keanu Rasmussen, making his first start at point guard, had a career-high 10 points, five assists, and five steals.

Brisbane racing to a 12-2 lead to start the game, fuelled by Harrison's six early points inside and Prather’s offensive explosion.

Adelaide fought back in the second quarter, cutting the margin to six after a 7-0 run and forcing a timeout from Bullets coach Justin Schueller. A late three-pointer by Jason Cadee on the halftime buzzer kept Adelaide close, trailing by just six at the break despite Prather and Harrison combining for 29 points on 16-from-18 shooting.

The Bullets regained control in the third quarter, with Prather scoring his first basket since the second quarter to extend the lead. Brisbane went into the fourth quarter ahead 75-64 and never looked back.

Key three-pointers from Mitch Norton and James Batemon in the final period, along with Prather's consistent scoring, secured the victory.