36ers meltdown as Hurt leads miracle comeback

• South East Melbourne Phoenix fight back from 19 down at halftime to beat Adelaide 85-75
• Matt Hurt led the way for South East Melbourne with 25 points
• The loss brings and end to NBL veteran Jason Cadee's career after he announced his retirement

The South East Melbourne Phoenix have produced the comeback of the season, fighting back from as much as 19 points down, to beat the Adelaide 36ers 85-75 in an elimination play-in game at John Cain Arena.

Adelaide had a complete meltdown after leading 45-26 at the main break before the Phoenix dominated the second half 59-30 to progress to face the Illawarra Hawks in a semi-finals series and also bring an end to the career of NBL veteran Jason Cadee.

The 36ers seemed destined to reach the next round as Kendric Davis floated a half-court shot as time expired in the first half to push the lead to 19, leading to one fan describing it as "STUNNING" and "beautiful".

Adelaide started strong as their defence stifled the Phoenix offence, limiting them to just 11 points in the second quarter and Kendric Davis taking over on the offensive end for the 36ers, scoring 16 of his game-high 26 points in the first half.

However, the Phoenix staged a remarkable comeback in the third quarter, outscoring the 36ers 28-15 as Matt Hurt began to assert his dominance, scoring 12 points in the period and helping South East Melbourne close the gap to just six points heading into the final frame.

The fourth quarter saw the Phoenix complete their turnaround, with Ben Ayre catching fire from beyond the arc. The guard, who assistant coach Sam Mackinnon said would get more opportunity against Adelaide because of his offensive ability, hit three crucial three-pointers in the final quarter, finishing with 17 points off the bench.

With 3:42 remaining, Ayre's fourth triple of the game gave the Phoenix their first lead since the opening minutes, putting them up 74-73 and from that point, South East Melbourne never looked back. They closed the game on an 11-2 run, with Hurt and Nathan Sobey sealing the victory at the free-throw line as the home side outscored Adelaide 31-15 in the final quarter.

Hurt's efficiency was key to the Phoenix's success, the All-NBL First Team member shot an impressive 11-of-18 from the field, including several crucial baskets down the stretch as his 25 points and nine rebounds were both team-highs, and his presence in the paint helped South East Melbourne dominate the glass, outrebounding Adelaide 46-41, which was a focus for Josh King's team after being smashed in the rebound count against Perth on Tuesday.

For the 36ers, Davis put forth a valiant effort with 26 points, six rebounds, and five assists but he received little support from his teammates with Montrezl Harrell (17 points, 14 rebounds) being the only other Adelaide player to score in double figures. Sharpshooter Dejan Vasiljevic was held to just three points for the game off 1-6 shooting.

The Phoenix's superior depth proved to be a difference-maker as South East Melbourne's bench outscored the 36ers' reserves 32-23 and their fresh legs advantage was evident in the second half, as the Phoenix's renewed energy and defensive intensity after the halftime break wore down the visitors.

Defensively, the Phoenix made crucial adjustments at halftime, including moving Next Star Malique Lewis onto Harrell, as they held the 36ers to just 28.9% shooting in the second half.

The result means the end of an inconsistent season for the 36ers, who showed glimpses of being a championship contender, while the Phoenix move on to face minor premiers, the Hawks, in the semi-finals series - a remarkable turnaround for the club who sat at the bottom of the ladder, winless after an 0-5 start to the season.

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