Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Bryce Cotton has produced a Friday night special as Adelaide survived a frenetic Tasmania fightback to post a thrilling 94-88 NBL win.
Cotton had 27 points by midway through the third quarter on enemy territory at MyBank State Arena as Adelaide’s lead expanded to as much as 13 points approaching three-quarter time.
The competition’s six-time MVP went stone cold for the next quarter as the JackJumpers levelled things up with little more than two minutes remaining, sending the home crowd wild.
But in a devastating 62-second stretch, Cotton piled on eight unanswered points, including two triples, to lift Adelaide to victory.
He finished with 35 points, six rebounds and five assists in a match-winning performance.
“Those are the moments that you enjoy being in, and it builds character,” Cotton said of the clutch shots at the death.
“I know how much work I put in, especially in my off-season, for moments like this, and then I have teammates and a coaching staff that believe in me to exert my talents in those situations.
“Their belief in me never wavers, so that goes a long way with me.”
Zylan Cheatham (15 points, 11 rebounds) and John Jenkins (13 points) played handy cameos for the 36ers.
Adelaide big man Nick Rakocevic (13 points, eight rebounds) went at just 5-of-13 from the free throw line before fouling out with more than four minutes remaining.
The result improved Adelaide’s record to 4-4, with wins over Sydney and Tasmania putting their recent three-game losing streak in the rear-view mirror.
Tasmania (4-2) were well served by Taran Armstrong (20 points, 10 assists), Will Magnay (19 points, three blocks) and Josh Bannan (13 points, seven rebounds).
Adelaide coach Trevor Gleeson was a notable absentee from courtside after being granted leave to attend his son’s graduation in Perth.
It meant assistant coach Marko Marinovic stepped into the hot seat.
“I actually congratulated him,” JackJumpers coach Scott Roth said of Gleeson’s decision to miss the game.
“He promised his son he would be at his graduation about five years ago, and the chance to go back on this night to spend that time with his son – I told him he was never going to forget that.
“So great kudos to him for his family-first mentality.”
Magnay sent the crowd wild when he produced a memorable half-court buzzer beater to lift Tasmania to a 22-14 lead at quarter time.
The margin extended to 10 points early in the second term before Cotton found his mojo, hitting two triples among a 10-point haul as Adelaide hit the front by half-time, 40-39.
Cotton’s third-quarter heroics looked set to guide Adelaide to an easy win, but Tasmania’s fightback meant Cotton had to produce some more magic at the death to secure victory.
