Joey Wright: "Anything can happen over the next few weeks. It could really flip around." Source: Morne de Klerk / Getty Images
THE NBL championship race has been thrown wide open by last weekend's results, according to Adelaide 36ers coach Joey Wright.
"I definitely feel there's a pack there now and we're part of it," he said, his second-placed 36ers beaten by fourth-ranked Sydney, on top of third-ranked Melbourne beating first-placed Perth in Perth.
"Anything can happen over the next few weeks.
"It could really flip around."
Perth (15-4) and Adelaide (12-6) were the pacemakers for half the season and looked a cut above. But the Tigers (12-8) and Kings (9-8) have stepped into the equation while Cairns (8-11) and the Sixers' next opponent on Saturday, still fancies its chances of crashing the post-season party.
"There's another Melbourne-Perth game this round, we have a couple to go against Perth and another one against the Kings in Sydney," Wright said. "A lot could happen yet."
Adelaide's last three regular season games are against Perth, Sydney and Melbourne.
"That Melbourne game to close the season could have a big bearing," Wright said.
Wright said the margin of Sunday's loss to the Kings (105-93) was a concern.
In any tie between teams with the same win-loss records, their results against each other determines the higher placing.
Adelaide beat Sydney by 13, lost by 13 and now has lost by 12. It means to win the series, it not only has to win the fourth match-up to make it 2-2, but by 13 points or more.
It makes foolhardy the fact players still were fouling the Kings in the loss at Adelaide Arena inside the final 10 seconds and putting them to the line, further inflating the margin.
"I was yelling to Gary (Ervin) on court (to stop fouling) but some of the guys obviously didn't get the memo," Wright said.
In Sydney, the 36ers again tread along that same fine line, fouling to stop the clock to try and win but risking Kings' free throws blowing out the result.
They did.
"Well first you are still trying to win the game but then we had to try and smarten up the margin," Wright said.
"In the end, hopefully we'll win more games and it won't matter. They played harder than us in the first quarter.
"And down the stretch they made big shots and some big defensive plays."
Adelaide also was hurt by captain Adam Gibson, who had a career-high 28 points in the previous game, being hamstrung by foul woes and eventually departing the game playing just 17 minutes.
"It meant he couldn't get into a rhythm at any time," Wright said. "Gibbo sat out half the week with a calf issue.
"He is the cornerstone of our defence and not having him out there really hurt us."
Adelaide is 2-1 on Cairns and plus-seven on points.
Follow Boti Nagy on Twitter at @boti_nagy and at www.botinagy.com
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