DJ rains threes as 36ers dance to easy road win

• DJ Vasiljevic knocks down 10 treys, seven in the first quarter, to lead 36ers to crucial road win
• Adelaide 36ers still in the hunt for NBL25 playoffs
• Montrezl Harrell has dominated 17-13 double-double

Adelaide 36ers stunned the Cairns Taipans with a blistering start, riding flame-throwing captain DJ Vasiljevic's historic shooting performance to a crucial 99-75 (Game Centre) road win at the Cairns Convention Centre in round 17 on Sunday, January 19, 2025.

Vasiljevic set the Taipans ablaze, draining an extraordinary seven three-pointers in the opening quarter to propel Adelaide to a commanding 38-12 lead they would never relinquish.

The 36ers entered the contest with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, sitting just outside the top six and facing a daunting trip to Far North Queensland after a tough loss in Perth on Friday.

However, any concerns about travel fatigue were quickly erased by Vasiljevic's all-world shooting display. The Adelaide skipper connected on seven of his first nine attempts, including several heavily contested shots from well beyond NBA range.

"When you get going, it's hard to stop," Vasilievic said.

"The hoop becomes like a hula hoop. You can just throw it from anywhere and it goes in."

While Vasiljevic cooled off after his scorching start, finishing with 32 points on 10-from-21 shooting from deep, his early onslaught set the tone for a dominant Adelaide performance. The 36ers maintained a comfortable double-digit lead throughout, withstanding a brief Taipans rally in the third quarter before pulling away for the 24-point win.

Adelaide, who improved to 11-13, closed the gap to sixth-placed Tasmania JackJumpers (12-13) in the race for the final playoff spot after the JackJumpers succumbed to the Sydney Kings in the early Sunday game.

It capped a disappointing end to a promising stretch for Cairns, who had won two of their previous four games and pushed title contenders South East Melbourne and Sydney to the brink.

Vasiljevic's 10 three-pointers marked the second time in his 130-game NBL career he's reached that milestone, matching his performance for the Sydney Kings against South East Melbourne in NBL23. His sharpshooting was the catalyst for an efficient Adelaide attack that shot 52% from the field and 45% from three-point range.

While Vasiljevic's historic night stole the headlines, it was far from a one-man show for the 36ers. Point guard Kendric Davis continued his strong form with 27 points and nine assists, orchestrating the offence and punishing the Taipans' defence when they overcommitted to stopping Vasiljevic.

Former NBA big and Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell dominated the paint with 17 points and 13 rebounds, while Isaac Humphries chipped in 10 points, four boards, two steals and two blocks.

For Cairns, it was a night to forget as they shot just 36% from the field and a dismal 8-from-33 from three-point range. Tanner Groves provided a silver lining with 23 points and nine rebounds, but the Taipans' backcourt of Taran Armstrong and Rob Edwards struggled, combining to shoot just 7-from-23.

Cairns coach Adam Forde didn't mince words when assessing his team's performance

"DJ Vasiljevic shot the hell out of that ball, but he was feeling good because we were going under on screens," he said.

"The starters really let us down, apart from Tanner. That was really disappointing."

The 36ers will look to build on this momentum as they continue their road trip with a crucial matchup against the Sydney Kings on Friday. A win there would further solidify their playoff credentials and potentially vault them into the top six. Meanwhile, the Taipans have little time to dwell on this setback as they host the league-leading Illawarra Hawks on Thursday, seeking to replicate their upset victory from their previous encounter.