A huge fourth quarter effort in last weekend’s 91-89 road win over Melbourne United has propelled Adelaide 36ers point guard Jamar Wilson to NBL Player of the Week honours ahead of round 15.
Wilson’s 16-point final term helped the 36ers erase a 12-point three-quarter time deficit and keep the club in reach of a playoff spot after making last season’s Grand Final series.
After having scored just six points across three quarters, a spirited chat with coach Joey Wright forced the NBL’s fourth leading scorer to get his head back in the game.
“After the first half, Joey came into the locker room and gave me a bit of a ream — I only took three shots and wasn’t as aggressive,” Wilson said.
“In order for us to be successful we all have to aggressive and that’s what I’m here for. My teammates supported me, I came out and hit a few shots and it got me going.”
“Jamar was outstanding in the fourth quarter, we had something going and we got there,” coach Wright said.
“We’ve got a lot of grit and our intensity level was high, but Jamar steadied the ship.”
The 30-year-old who plays with the patient ‘old man’s’ game will have to maintain his scoring average of over 18 points per game for the 36ers to have any hope of catching United or Perth over the league’s final six rounds.
Along with sidekick Brock Motum, who has averaged 17 points per game since narrowly missing out on a NBA roster spot with the Utah Jazz, Wilson and the 36ers find themselves two games behind the United.
They are four games behind the reigning champion Wildcats and will have a chance to steal a vital win against the Matt Knight-less Perth, ruled out for the majority of the remaining regular season schedule with a big toe fracture, when the two sides clash at Perth Arena on Friday night.
“Right now, we just have to play our games,” Wright said. “We’re still a few games back and we’ve got some big games coming up.”
Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images.
