Adelaide’s 106–78 win over Illawarra on Saturday was built on something more useful than Bryce Cotton simply catching fire. Zylan Cheatham delivered the first triple-double of NBL27 — 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists — and the 36ers showed how dangerous they can be when their offence runs through several threats rather than waiting for their six-time MVP to rescue every possession. The official NBL match report confirms the 28-point result and Cheatham’s extraordinary all-round contribution.
Cotton had only four points on 1-of-9 shooting at half-time, yet Adelaide led 49–37. That’s the number worth remembering. John Jenkins III had already hit five three-pointers without a miss, Cheatham had 11 points, six rebounds and seven assists, and Nick Rakocevic was making his presence felt inside. Instead of a familiar dependence on Cotton’s scoring, Adelaide had enough creation and rebounding to build a lead while its best-known weapon was quiet.
The second quarter exposed the difference in possession quality. Adelaide won it 27–16, collected nine offensive rebounds by half-time and forced 11 Illawarra turnovers. Extra shots and extra trips to the foul line gave the Sixers a cushion without needing spectacular perimeter shooting from Cotton. That’s a more repeatable foundation for a team trying to move back towards the top half of the ladder.
Then Cotton arrived. He scored 17 of his 22 points in the third term as Adelaide poured in 36 points on 12-of-16 shooting, including three makes from four attempts beyond the arc. The lead swelled to 85–60 at the final change. What made the burst so damaging was the platform already in place: Illawarra had to account for Cheatham’s passing, Rakocevic’s work around the basket and Jenkins’ shooting before Cotton found his rhythm.
Rakocevic finished with 20 points, 16 rebounds and six assists; Jenkins added 17 points on five made threes. Tyler Harvey’s 19 points led Illawarra, but the Hawks couldn’t match Adelaide’s collective production and fell to 4–9. The Sixers improved to 6–6, a significant response after losing at home to Brisbane in their previous outing. Their next challenge is Melbourne United on Thursday, when this more balanced attacking model will face a side coming off four straight wins.
The fourth quarter brought an ugly interruption rather than a competitive comeback. A confrontation involving Rakocevic, Makur Maker and Will Hickey led to Maker’s ejection. On Sunday, the NBL confirmed all three had been referred to its Game Review Panel, with submissions due by 8pm AEDT. No further sanction had been announced in that notice, so the disciplinary process remains separate from what Adelaide achieved on the scoreboard.
For the 36ers, the most encouraging part of Saturday wasn’t the final margin or even the triple-double in isolation. It was the sequence: win the possession battle, let Cheatham connect the offence, get meaningful production from the supporting cast, then give Cotton room to take over. Adelaide won convincingly on a night when its superstar needed half a game to get going. That’s a blueprint worth taking into Thursday, not just a pleasing box score.
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