IT WAS everything and more that Adelaide 36ers fans would have hoped for when their side got the job done over the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL yesterday, with five-time MVP and off-season recruit Bryce Cotton bringing his best.

Cotton’s move from the Perth Wildcats was one of the biggest storylines of the offseason, and immediately launched Adelaide into championship contention. One of the greatest players the NBL has ever seen, the guard was the biggest acquisition in Sixers history, ensuring South Australia’s team would be right in the title race of season 2025/26.

Adelaide’s first test came on Sunday afternoon when it hosted the Bullets at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, with fans arriving in droves to see the first NBL outing of their star recruit, and they were treated to a cracking contest. In a hard fought contest, it was the Sixers who prevailed by seven points at home to start their campaign in style and blow off the cobwebs accordingly.

Cotton did not disappoint for his first official outing in new colours, dropping nearly half of his team’s points in the tight win over Brisbane, and showing that he will be the same box office entertainment he has proven to be over the past decade.

Adelaide 36ers (87) def. Brisbane Bullets (80)

Bryce Cotton – 39 points, three rebounds, six assists, one steal

It was vintage Bryce Cotton action at Adelaide Entertainment Centre in the final match of Round 2 on Sunday afternoon, with the reigning NBL MVP dropping 39 of his team’s 87 points in a remarkable display of offence.

The signs were ominous for Brisbane early with Adelaide’s star recruit firing in the first term, exploding for 15 points in four minutes of court time to show just how quickly he can take over a match. Once he began to get his eye in – particularly from long range – Cotton was proving to be the defining factor in the match.

A four-point play in the opening frame indicated he was producing a dominant offensive display, and at quarter time, Cotton had led the Sixers to a four-point lead on the back of an unmatched ability to find the bottom of the net.

After a quiet second term, Cotton caught fire once again in the third period, dropping another 15 points and helping his side retake the lead after the Bullets briefly edged ahead after half time. Whenever Adelaide needed some urgent offence, Cotton was the answer, showing why he has proven a near-impossible matchup since joining the NBL.

Although Brisbane was able to cut into the double-digit deficit in the final frame, the Sixers kept their noses in front, largely due to the efforts of Cotton, who did most of the scoring in the final frame. Adelaide struggled with offensive droughts last season and it proved costly, but the addition of the best scorer in the competition has certainly quelled those concerns, and allowed the Sixers to hold on for victory.

Cotton delivered another masterclass to produce the highest-scoring debut in team history with 39 points on 14/23 shooting from the field and 6/9 shooting from behind the arc. In a reasonably low-scoring game all things considered, it was a remarkable effort for the guard to have the impact that he did, and could be gearing up for a sixth MVP campaign, as well as a potential fourth NBL title in the coming months.