A fiery late-game physical altercation between 36er Nick Rakocevic and Bullets duo Hunter Maldonado and Terry Taylor provided spice to an otherwise predictable skirmish on the Gold Coast.
The Adelaide 36ers are closing in on a historic prize pool and a box-seat position in the NBL playoffs after Wednesday night’s 107-74 blowout win was delayed as referees deliberated punishments.
The 36ers’ big win on the Gold Coast was sparked with 3:02 left on the clock when Rakocevic and Maldonado got entangled on a box out before the wrestle then spilt courtside.
Watch live coverage of NBL and WNBL 2025-26 seasons with ESPN on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
That was where Taylor rushed in and used a headlock to get a fiery Rakocevic off his calm teammate. Taylor, Maldonado and Rakocevic were all ejected, along with injured Bullets Sam McDaniel, Taine Murray and Alex Ducas who came in off the bench.
The altercation lasted at least a minute and the 36ers were rewarded four free throws which made it 86-65, despite Rakocevic looking like the instigator when he showed no intention of getting up off the body of Maldonado.
“This is absolutely on! It’s a clear the benches-type brawl,” ESPN commentator Joel Peterson said.
“Where has this come from? Talk about igniting the fuse.”
TICKET = PUNCHED
The 36ers’ ugly but dominant win means they have a two-game buffer over second-seeded Phoenix and have punched a ticket to the February 22 Ignite Cup final.
The inaugural match, to be played on the Gold Coast, has $400000 on the line for the winning team and after leading all the way, Adelaide are locked in for the Broadbeach blockbuster.
Brisbane centre Jacob Holt stood tall under siege, dropping a season-high 24 points to keep his team intact against a 36ers team that shot the lights out (38 from 55 field goals).
There’s a reason Adelaide are league leaders. Despite leaking 10 turnovers to Brisbane’s four in the first half and shooting 15 less shots, they still led 52-46.
Sounds impossible, right? Adelaide made 18 of its 23 shots. Conversely, Brisbane made just three threes from 25 attempts across the first three quarters to enter the fourth down 68-55.
Indeed, Brisbane were kept scoreless for the first three minutes of the third and scored just nine in the period. New Adelaide flamethrower John Jenkins showed his foes how it’s done, swishing five triples in the glitter-strip take-down.
INCREDIBLE HOLT
Whoever the incoming Bullets coach is will have at least one department handled. That is, Brisbane’s big men stocks.
Tyrell Harrison, who hasn’t played since New Year’s Day with a concussion, had a career-best season this year and should feel bulletproof when the new season rolls around in September.
Holt, whose 17-point first half inspired the Bullets to an admirable six-point deficit, has been playing his socks off and is showing Brisbane’s basketball bosses he is worth signing well beyond this wretched campaign.
Midway through the second, after sinking his first five shots, plucking a steal and reeling in a rebound, the tireless Holt called for a substitution, so hard was he working.
The Canadian-born 22-year-old has been the diamond in a very, very rough season.
FLAT TIRE KICKS IN, AGAIN
Although they forced Adelaide into 10 first-half turnovers and kept Bryce Cotton to just eight points midway through the fourth, Brisbane never led and were always playing catch up.
It has been the story all season long and a constant theme has been slow starts to the third. Adelaide went on a 7-0 run out of the main break and never looked back.
The Bullets shot more airballs (four) than threes made (three from 28), before Jack Purchase buried three in a row in the final minutes.
Discussion about this post