IN A crucial game for both sides to kick start Round 3 of the National Basketball League (NBL) season, the Adelaide 36ers have notched their first win of the 2024/25 fixture after defeating the SEM Phoenix by 10 points at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Thursday night.

Both teams came into the encounter without a win to their name after two rounds, and took up two of the bottom three spots in the standings. Thursday’s clash was a vital matchup as one side would breathe life into their campaign, while the other team would be in dire straits still winless.

It was a match that Adelaide controlled from start to finish, with the Sixers jumping out to an early lead en route to a vital win. Meanwhile, it sends the Phoenix spiralling down to a record of 0-4, which will prove quite difficult to bounce back from.

Adelaide 36ers (93) def. South East Melbourne Phoenix (83)

The Sixers sensed the big opportunity and opted to pair both of their star big men Isaac Humphries and Montrezl Harrell in the starting lineup, in an attempt to use their bigger bodies against South East Melbourne. It proved to be a winning strategy, with the home side leading by nine points at the first change.

That lead ballooned out to as much as 20 points in the first half, as the home crowd began to get involved and make each possession difficult for the Phoenix. After a pair of close losses, the Sixers were finally getting reward for effort in their first home game of the year.

Although the Phoenix did win the second half, the damage was already done and the result was never really in doubt as Adelaide moved up the standings with a season-first win.

After a slow start to the season that ultimately reflected the performance of the team, Isaac Humphries repaid the faith with an excellent performance, posting 22 points and six rebounds, while pairing well with Harrell, who had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.

The production was similar in the backcourt, with Dejan Vasiljevic (22 points, three assists) and Kendric Davis (21 points, seven assists) torching their Phoenix counterparts. Having assembled an extremely talented starting lineup, the Sixers got reward for their recruiting.

Phoenix import Matt Hurt starred for the team and was a one-man army for South East Melbourne, posting 32 points on 11/20 shooting from the field, while Next Star Malique Lewis was also impressive with 14 points in 14 minutes in his most promising performance to date.