Isaac
Years ago
36ers vs Taipans, Jan 16
Here's the NBL's Fast Facts for the game:
CAIRNS TAIPANS VS ADELAIDE 36ERS
Cairns Convention Centre
Friday January 16
2009 meetings: Round 8: Taipans 71 def Sixers 70 @ Adelaide; Round17: Sixers 107 def Taipans 86 @ Adelaide
All-time record: Taipans 12, Sixers 17
Adelaide are just the second team to attempt the 'Sunshine Swing' this year on consecutive nights. In Round 12, Sydney beat Cairns on Friday night but went down to the Crocs on the Saturday. New Zealand won both games in Round Nine but did have a three-day break in between matches.
This will be the sixth time that the Sixers have attempted this road double and they have never won both games. Their first three attempts, (2000, 2002, 2004) they split the results but their last two (2006, 2007) have seen them return with two losses on both trips.
In the four matches since new coach Mark Beecroft has taken over and the loss of imports Larry Abney and Dave Thomas, Cairns are averaging just 83.8 ppg with Ian Crosswhite leading their scoring and rebounding over that span at 14.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Luke Schenscher's 16 rebounds last week was the equal most anyone has boarded against the Taipans this year.
Since the start of the 2003 season, Adelaide have played 16 games in far North Queensland and won just four games with identical 2-6 records against both Cairns and Townsville.
Even though new Adelaide import Rod Grizzard has joined the team for their first trip to North Queensland for the season, he should be able to give the directions to the hotel as this will be his third trip this year he has already visited twice as a Tiger and is undefeated as a player in Cairns after winning with Singapore there last year. His perfect record in Cairns does not extend to Townsville though where his form has been the opposite with three losses from three trips twice with the Slingers and once with Melbourne. Grizzard's next match will be his 50th in the NBL.
With the minimum seven games to play to qualify for the finals, Rod Grizzard will have to make sure he does not get injured if he wants to qualify for this year's playoffs. It has not been uncommon for clubs to bring in a player so late in the season but few have been able to help their club rise to the next level in time.
Recent late changes:
2008: Luke Whitehead played the last nine games for the Blaze to replace Juaquin Hawkins and helped them to their first playoff match where they lost to the Crocs in Townsville
2006: Sydney introduced Sedric Webber to their team with seven games to go to replace an injury suffered by Rolan Roberts in the All-Star Slam dunk contest and he helped them get to the Grand Final, where they lost to the Tigers 0-3.
2004: Chris Carrawell came to the Kings with 11 games to go after another import Joe Brown was released after just two games to fill a whole left by a season ending injury to Jason Smith, and was a part of the Championship team when they defeated the Razorbacks 3-2 in the league's first best-of-five Grand Final series.
2004: Brisbane brought in Ben Walker with seven games to go to following Kevin Freeman's departure and they defeated the Tigers 1-0 in the Quarter Finals before going down to the Kings 0-2 in the Semis.
2003: Dusty Rychart had been released by Victoria after 14 games but was recruited by the Sixers to play the last seven games of the regular season and they lost the Elimination Final to Perth 1-2.
