A VINTAGE performance from experienced big man Daniel Johnson was the spark that led to the South Adelaide Panthers’ thrilling three-point win over the Central Districts Lions in the NBL1 Central Men’s over the weekend.

The two sides played out an enthralling encounter at Mitchell Park Sports and Community Centre on Saturday night, although South Adelaide came in as the heavy favourite given the different form of the teams during the 2023 season.

The Panthers have kept themselves in the conversation for title contention, while the Lions had only been able to conjure four wins from 13 outings heading into their clash against South Adelaide.

However, the visitors turned things on its head in the opening quarter, bursting out of the gates with a strong start to the match. Central Districts took a seven-point lead into the first change, and managed to keep the opposition at bay until three-quarter time.

Just when it looked like a fair upset was on the cards, the Panthers stormed home with an emphatic final period, putting the game on their terms to outscore the opposition and claim a nail-biting three-point triumph.

Not only did Johnson deliver the strongest statline of the match, he also produced the most important bucket of the game, and single-handedly dragged the Panthers over the line.

South Adelaide Panthers (86) def. Central Districts Lions (83)

Daniel Johnson – 35 points, nine rebounds, two assists, one steal

In the Panthers’ thrilling come-from-behind win, Johnson was the star of the show, carrying his side on the offensive end and nailing a massive shot at the end of the game.

The big man registered nearly half of his team’s points with a game-high total of 35 on an accurate 12/19 shooting from the field. Johnson produced his baskets via a variety of methods, whether it was post-ups, three-pointers (where he nailed four shots on six attempts), or even as the ball handler in pick and rolls.

Johnson was the single reason his side was in the match until three-quarter time, recording an impressive 24 points prior to the final change, although things looked dire from a South Adelaide perspective given it trailed by 13 heading into the last.

However, Johnson continued to fire as both a scorer and rebounder, taking the chocolates in his battle with Lions big Kevin Baker. ‘DJ’ crashed the glass on both ends of the court, and his offensive rebounding became a real problem for the opposition.

The Panthers mounted a serious comeback in the fourth quarter, erasing the deficit to take the lead, and although the Lions rallied again to retake the scoreboard, South Adelaide was within one point in the dying stages of the match. When the game was on the line, it was Johnson who stood up once again.

Trailing by one, Johnson was the recipient in a pick-and-pop, and despite being a couple of feet behind the three-point line, splashed home his fourth three-pointer to give South Adelaide the lead once again. It proved to be match-winning with the Lions unable to answer down the other end.

Johnson turned back the clock with a fine display in a number of facets of the game, and was the reason his side produced a remarkable final-term quarter.