How to watch & talking points: Brisbane v Adelaide

Brisbane Bullets (10th) v Adelaide 36ers (1st)
Wednesday, January 28, 7.30pm AEDT
Gold Coast Sport and Leisure Centre

How to watch‍

‍Watch every game live on ESPN.

>> How to watch ESPN

Tickets

>> Ticketing information

How to follow & live scores

‍Live scores, stats, breaking news and game highlights are available via the new and improved NBL App.

>> Visit Game Centre | Download the free NBL App now

Talking points

Eyes on the prize
Adelaide’s Ignite Cup fate lies primarily in their hands when they take on Brisbane at the Gold Coast.

Win the game and three quarters, and the 36ers will lock in their spot in the February 22 Final on the Gold Coast and edge them closer to the tournament’s historic prize pool.

Not only that, but a win would also reestablish their two-game buffer on South East Melbourne on the NBL ladder.

>> IGNITE CUP STANDINGS

Playing for the jersey
While Brisbane is officially the first team eliminated from NBL26 Finals contention, interim coach Darryl McDonald is adamant he wants his side to play with pride in each of their final five matches.

Despite a mounting injury toll, McDonald believes in his troops and is confident they can end their season on a high note, starting on Wednesday.

With so many players sidelined too, it gives their young stars a chance to shine and prove themselves.

What they're saying

Bullets interim coach Darryl McDonald on his team preparing for Adelaide:
"I've gotta come up with something, that's not us you know what I mean and we can't go down like that and get disappointed, and then the negativity on the bench creeps in because stuff's not going our way.

"I need to stamp that in the butt and get that out of the group because that hasn’t been us, and we can't be up and about and great when things are going well, and then as soon as it's not going well, become negative and that's what I don’t want.

"It's just about playing hard, man, when you're out there and if we can sneak some wins here and there, let's do it, but it's also staying together and that's another thing.

"It's easy to disperse and for everyone to go on their own way, and that's one thing I don't see with our group and we have a group that's been good, everyone gets along and we stick together, but it's hard because we don't get a lot of opportunity to train, because we don't have bodies.

"There's a lot of walk-throughs with what we're doing, because we're trying to salvage bodies and keep guys on the floor you know what I mean, but it's really about staying together and continuing to pull for each other.

"Hopefully something good happens, but you have to leave here knowing that you played every possession like it was your last."

36ers coach Mike Wells on his team's goal of making the Ignite Cup Final:
“We know what kind of opponent we'll have up there at the Gold Coast in Brisbane.

“I would like for my group to play in the Ignite Cup championship. That's an important goal for me to be in that kind of game.

“And that will be a big game up in the Gold Coast against Brisbane on Wednesday night.

“We would like to be there. I think that's a really interesting next step for us. And then, you know, see where we are going into the finals.”

Missing in action

Brisbane
Casey Prather - Knee - Season
Dakota Mathias - Shoulder - February
Javon Freeman-Liberty - Hamstring - Round 20
Lamar Patterson - Hamstring - Season
Sam McDaniel - Calf - Round 20
Tyrell Harrison - Concussion – TBC

Adelaide
Ben Griscti - Neck - TBC

>> View full injury list