Who Reached the NBL Final: Results of the Semifinal Series

Two down. Sydney Kings and Adelaide 36ers are through to the NBL26 Championship Series. Sydney closed its series in two games and did not leave Perth much daylight. Adelaide took the longer road - three games, a full arena, and Bryce Cotton pouring in 42 points like the rim had stopped arguing with him. The NBL finals wrapped on March 17. Grand final tips off March 21.

Championship Pedigree: Kings vs. Wildcats Series Breakdown

Before the series started, the shape of it looked clear enough. Sydney sat first on the NBL ladder at 24-9. Perth came in fourth at 21-12 after getting through the play-in. The regular season leaned the same way: three meetings, three Kings wins, every one by 18 points or more. Then the ball went up in Game 1 and all that neat framing started to wobble.

The Kings vs Wildcats semifinal opened on March 11 at Qudos Bank Arena, and Perth came out hot. A 10-2 run. Windler firing. Henshall letting it fly. Sydney looked rusty for stretches, which tracked after a 19-day layoff, but the game never settled anyway. It kept jerking one way, then the other. Fifty-six lead changes. That number still looks unreal sitting on the page. Kendric Davis scored 35 for the Kings. Kristian Doolittle answered with 31 for the Wildcats. Then the finish tightened. Two minutes left, Xavier Cooks stepped to the line and made three free throws. Doolittle got the last shot at the horn and missed. Kings 105, Wildcats 104.

That kind of ending sticks. People keep replaying it in their heads without meaning to. Fans who follow online pokies australia platforms usually keep close tabs on Australian sport too, and this was one of those games that dragged attention its way and held it there. ESPN caught the mood in its Game 1 report.

Defensive Lockdown: How Sydney Neutralized the Wildcats' Offense

Game 2 broke open after halftime. Perth led 46-43 at RAC Arena, then Sydney shut the door and slid the bolt across. The Kings won the second half 46-29. Matthew Dellavedova made Doolittle grind through every touch, every look, every trip. Doolittle finished 3-of-15. Makuach Maluach gave Sydney 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Perth shot 33.8% from the field.

A specialised Aussie website noted in its Game 2 coverage that Xavier Cooks posted a game-high +22 plus-minus. That stat says plenty. Sydney had more steady legs, more answers, more composure when the game got ugly. And that was that.

NBL scores today:

Going the Distance: 36ers vs. Phoenix Series Breakdown

If Sydney’s series felt orderly, the 36ers vs SEM Phoenix semifinal went the other way. It lurched from one swing to the next. An 18-point lead vanished. Then came the scoring bursts - 42 from Cotton in one game, 41 in reply later in the series. The latest NBL news confirmed Adelaide took the semifinal 2-1 and reached its first grand final since 2018.

Game 1 was played on March 10 in Adelaide, and Cotton tore through it. He went 17-of-25 from the field, hit 6-of-11 from deep and finished with 42 points. The crowd number was 10,055, a record for the venue, and Adelaide closed the night with a 104-97 win. Vasiljevic gave them 17 off the bench. Not flashy, just timely.

“That’s what great players do. He does it all the time. We’re fortunate he’s doing it in a blue uniform.”

– Mike Wells, Adelaide 36ers coach

Game 2: Sobey’s Revenge

The SEM Phoenix tied it up March 14 at John Cain Arena. Per the NBL schedule, it was a Saturday prime-time slot. Adelaide led by 18 in the second quarter, shooting 73% in the first half. Looked done.

Then Nathan Sobey went off. 17 points in a third-quarter stretch where Phoenix outscored Adelaide 22-5. He finished with 41 (14-of-27, 8-of-16 from three). As ESPN detailed, Phoenix coach Josh King’s halftime message was blunt.

“Get your head out of your ass – we’ve got 20 minutes to save our season.”

– Josh King, SEM Phoenix head coach.

Adelaide’s 18 turnovers killed them. Phoenix had 25 more shot attempts and 11 more offensive rebounds. The series tied 1-1.

Game 3: Cotton and the Frontcourt Seal It

March 17. Adelaide. Sold out again. Wells made one big move: Vasiljevic into the starting lineup for John Jenkins. Jenkins played about a minute all game.

Cotton adapted. Less isolation, more off-ball movement. Back-cuts, flares, letting bigs Cheatham and Humphries create from the high post. The Phoenix kept denying him the ball, but Adelaide’s size punished them on the glass. Rebounding: Adelaide 52, Phoenix 31. Fifteen offensive boards for Adelaide. Nick Rakocevic (17.2% OREB rate) and Cheatham (28.5% DREB rate) were unguardable inside.

Nick Rakocevic said in this regard:

“We made a little pact – if we out-rebound them, we’re gonna win this game.”

Final: Adelaide 108, Phoenix 96. Cotton had 38+ points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists – the first player to post that stat line in an NBL finals game since Andrew Gaze in 1993. Sobey managed 17 on 6-of-18 with Vasiljevic defending him.

Statistical Insights: The Road to the Finals

Efficiency and Turnover Margin

The NBL standings tell you who these teams are. Sydney led the league in offense and defense during the regular season (113.79 rating). Adelaide relied on Cotton’s gravity and frontcourt muscle (105.26 rating).

Semifinal efficiency breakdown:

1. Sydney averaged 97 PPG on 46.2% shooting across two games

2. Adelaide averaged 101.3 PPG over three, with Cotton above 30 PPG for the series

Turnovers shaped outcomes. Adelaide’s 18 giveaways in Game 2 opened the door for Sobey’s explosion. By Game 3, they cleaned it up. Perth turned it over 15 times in Game 2 against Sydney’s full-court pressure.

Finals Preview: Speed vs. Size

Championship Series starts March 21. Best-of-five. Sydney hosts Games 1, 3, 5 at Qudos Bank Arena. What to watch:

• Cotton vs. Dellavedova – the matchup that probably decides everything

• Adelaide’s frontcourt size (Humphries, Cheatham, Rakocevic) against Sydney’s perimeter game

• Bench scoring on both sides

• Home-court impact – Adelaide sold out both home semifinal games

Sydney’s 13-game streak is hard to argue with. But Cotton in playoff mode is a different animal. The series will likely come down to whether Sydney’s guards handle Adelaide’s physicality, or whether Cotton keeps finding gaps.

System vs. Luck

Did Sydney get a soft draw? Perth came through the play-in gauntlet and may have been gassed. Doolittle’s 3-of-15 in Game 2... fatigue or scheme? Both, probably.

Adelaide’s Game 2 collapse raises its own questions. A 39-20 third quarter against Phoenix suggests they’re vulnerable when opponents raise intensity. But a best-of-five series rewards consistency over hot streaks. That favors Sydney on paper. If Cotton goes nuclear again though? Hard to predict that.

FAQ

Who qualified for the NBL26 Championship Series?

Sydney Kings (2-0 over Perth) and Adelaide 36ers (2-1 over SEM Phoenix). Game 1 is March 21 at Qudos Bank Arena.

How many points did Bryce Cotton score in the semifinal series?

42 in Game 1, and 38+ with 6 rebounds and 7 assists in the decider. He won his sixth MVP earlier this season.

Where can I find live NBL results?

NBL.com.au has live scores, the league ladder, and playoff fixtures. ESPN Australia covers all games with box scores.