Adelaide 36ers turn on incredible run of three pointers in 2022 as first Australian team to beat an NBA franchise team
The Adelaide 36ers tweet back the incredible final score of the win over NBA franchie Phoenix Suns at their Footprint Centre home stadium where the banner of sponsor Brand SA (at right) flew overhead.
The Adelaide 36ers created history in 2022 as the first Australian National Basketball League team to beat a United States of America National Basketball Association franchise in a preseason game.
The 36ers shocked a star-studded Phoenix Suns team wth the 134-124 win at Footprint Centre. Adelaide’s win was the first preseason win for a non-NBA team in the United States since Turkish club Fenerbahce beat Brooklyn in 2015.
The Adelaide 36ers turned on an incredible shooting performance, breaking the club’s three-pointer record with 24, against the Suns. The 36ers shot 55% – a huge 24 of 43 from long range in the upset win over the Suns, who boasted the best NBA record in their previous regular season.
Adelaide’s American imports Robert Franks (32 points) and Craig Randall (35), had 16 triples between them, continuing to land efforts from well beyond the NBA's longer three-point line. The Suns rolled out a full-strength starting five, with Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges (22 points, seven rebounds), Cam Johnson and Deandre Ayton (22 points) all playing 22 minutes against Adelaide that finished mid table with a 10-18 win-loss record in the previous Australian NBL season.
When the Suns' second unit — featuring NBL graduate Jock Landale (12 points, six rebounds) and former NBL import Torrey Craig (10 points, six rebounds) — entered the match, the 36ers exploded. CJ Bruton's team surged to a 14-point lead and were never headed despite the Suns' starting unit coming back on in the second half. Landale missed a triple that would have tied the scores, while Randall drained three straight long triples to push the 36ers ahead again for a historic victory.
