Prather drops 36 as Bullets smother 36ers

The Brisbane Bullets outgunned the Adelaide 36ers 111-90 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre (Game Centre) on Christmas Eve, 2024, in front of 9,457 fans.

The vast majority left disappointed, as the Bullets caught fire in the fourth quarter, pouring in 33 points to pull away for a convincing road victory that solidified their position near the top of the NBL ladder.

The game was tight through three quarters, with Brisbane holding a gettable 78-70 lead heading into the final frame.

But the Bullets' sharpshooting proved too much for Adelaide down the stretch. Led by the red-hot Casey Prather, Brisbane knocked down seven three-pointers in the fourth quarter alone to blow the game open and to boost their percentage.

Isaac White set the tone early, it might have been the 20 or so family members he had to secure tickets for, that inspired his first half performance. White, 26, grew up in Adelaide. A bulk of his 22 points came in the first half. He finished with 9-from-14 from the floor, including 7-from-9 from three.

But Prather was simply unstoppable, finishing with a game-high 36 points on 11-from-21 shooting, including a blistering 7-from-12 from beyond the arc. The versatile forward also chipped in five assists as he carved up the 36ers' defense. In his last seven games, the three-time NBL champion is averaging 29.4 ppg on an absurd 61.9% from the field and 62.3% from deep.

Keandre Cook provided a strong supporting role with 24 points, while Tyrell Harrison dominated the glass with 14 rebounds to go along with 14 points.

For Adelaide, Kendric Davis did his best to keep the 36ers in it, pouring in 32 points and dishing out eight assists in a valiant effort. But he simply didn't have enough help, as no other Adelaide player managed more than 16 points.

The stat sheet tells the tale of Brisbane's offensive onslaught. The Bullets shot a scorching 50% from the field and 39% from three-point range, knocking down 13 triples. They also dominated inside, out-rebounding Adelaide 45-38 and blocking 7 shots to the 36ers' zero.

Most telling was Brisbane's 22-of-27 performance from the free throw line, compared to just 16-of-28 for Adelaide.

The victory moves Brisbane to 9-8 on the season, keeping them within striking distance of the league leaders and into the top four.

Meanwhile, Adelaide falls to 7-10 and will need to regroup quickly as they fight to stay in the playoff picture.

Both teams will now enjoy a short Christmas break before returning to action later this week.

The Bullets will look to keep their momentum going when they host the Illawarra Hawks (Game Centre) on December 29th, while Adelaide faces another critical home test against the Perth Wildcats (Game Centre) on Saturday, December 28, 2024.