Kai Sotto hardly saw the court in the 36ers’ most crucial game of the season.
Adelaide’s playoff hopes in the 2022-23 National Basketball League ended at the hands of Melbourne, bowing 107-116, Sunday at John Cain Arena.
Sotto, who was starting for Adelaide, saw limited action in the game, only playing one minute and 45 seconds in the first quarter and recording a rebound, two fouls, and a turnover.
The 7-foot-3 Filipino ended his second year with Adelaide with averages of 7.08 points, 4.65 rebounds, and 0.81 blocks per game.
The third year in his contract is an option.
This win solidified Melbourne’s playoff bid and pushed them to a record of 15-13, while Adelaide fell to 13-15 and just missed the cut for the playoffs.
Rayjon Tucker led Melbourne United with a strong performance, scoring 31 points on 11-of-21 shooting and adding eight rebounds and five assists.
Chris Goulding, a member of the Boomers, also contributed to the win with 23 points, including 5-of-13 from three-point range.
In the final moments of the game, with the score tied at 102-102, Goulding hit a clutch three-pointer with 1:40 left on the clock, putting Melbourne ahead 105-102.
Tucker followed up with a layup at the 40-second mark to increase Melbourne’s lead to 107-103.
Although Adelaide’s Sunday Dech scored two points with 34 seconds left to bring the score to 105-107, Antonius Cleveland’s and-one conversion with 16 seconds to play secured the win for Melbourne.
Adelaide’s playoff hopes were dashed despite a strong performance from Cleveland, who scored 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting and 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Dech also played well, scoring 20 points in just 20 minutes off the bench.
Meanwhile, the top-ranked Sydney eliminated Perth from the playoffs in a separate game.
