Why Cotton is happy to play second fiddle

Bryce Cotton is willing to sacrifice everything on the stat sheet in Game 2 of the Championship Series if it means delivering a win for Adelaide.

After the Sydney Kings made limiting the MVP a clear priority in the Series opener, Cotton was held to just 10 points in a 44-point loss.

While a scoring response is expected from Adelaide’s star on Friday night, Cotton is equally prepared to shift his focus toward creating opportunities for others.

“Wherever I go, I see two people, so that’s the biggest takeaway,” Cotton said on SEN SA.

“If there’s two people on me, somebody’s open, so it’s just a matter of finding the right guy and us making those open shots.”

Cotton has averaged 15 points against Sydney this season, below his usual output, but recognises the impact he can have beyond putting the ball in the basket.

With defensive attention centred on him, Adelaide has the chance to capitalise through its depth, with John Jenkins, Zylan Cheatham, Dejan Vasiljevic and Flynn Cameron all capable of stepping up offensively.

“With that type of defence, there’s no reason for us to not get open shots,” Cotton added.

“The good thing in Playoffs or games in general, is any game you lose no matter how much by, it just counts as one loss.

“Sydney obviously did a great job protecting home court and now we have an opportunity to play in front of our home fans. That’s where our focus has got to be.”

Adelaide will host Sydney in Game 2 on Friday night, live on ESPN and 10 Drama (Adelaide and Sydney) from 7:30pm AEDT.