THE weekend’s National Basketball League (NBL) action continued on Sunday afternoon, with three matches taking place around the country. Things kicked off at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, with the Adelaide 36ers hosting the Cairns Taipans, with both sides entering this clash eager to get back on the winners’ list. It was shaping up to be a very even matchup, given they have enjoyed similar seasons to date. The visitors started the match in ripping fashion, taking a 14-point lead into the first break as they looked a strong chance to claim a blowout win. However, Adelaide was able to produce a dominant comeback in the following three quarters, regaining control of the contest to emerge winners to the tune of 11 points.

In this article, we take a look at some of the key statistical categories from the contest, and how they may have affected the outcome.

Team Stats:

27/65 (41%)	FG	29/66 (43%)
20/43 (46%)	2P	23/44 (52%)
7/22 (31%)	3P	6/22 (27%)
21/30 (70%)	FT	7/13 (53%)
37	REB	40
22	AST	15
10	STL	6
7	BLK	3
12	TO	22

Apart from the shooting numbers, the 36ers excelled in most of the key stat categories in their fightback win on Sunday. Arguably the most impressive feat of their game was their ability to get to the free throw line. In terms of scoring, this was the biggest advantage they had over the Taipans. They made their way to the charity stripe 17 more times than their opponents, and making 14 more attempts from the line. Given the team looked to score the ball inside quite a bit throughout the contest, this figure makes quite a bit of sense, and was aided by some ill-discipline from the Cairns defenders.

The 36ers were also boosted by their ability to hold onto the basketball, conceding 10 less turnovers than the opposition. Many of the Taipans’ turnovers were unforced, and this ended up costing them in the long run. The defensive pressure from Adelaide was also key to the result, with the team ripping 10 steals from their opponents and giving themselves more scoring opportunities.

The Taipans were able to prove more effective from two-point territory and from the field as a whole. This was largely due to the contrasting starts from the two sides, but the Taipans were still able to maintain this throughout the rest of the contest. They made over half of their shots from inside the arc, and were ultimately bested by the opposition’s ability to get to the free throw line.

Top Points Scorers:

Johnson was back to his best in his side’s win, with a team-high 18-point outing proving to be crucial in securing the result. He ended up being too much for the defence to handle, making his way to the free throw line eight times, sinking seven of these shots. McCarron was also excellent in the win, stuffing the stat sheet with 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and six steals, while Dech’s 13 points impressed as well. Zimmerman could not have done any more for Cairns, with his 21 points and 13 rebounds proving to be the best individual outing of the match.