Kai Sotto’s hot start went for naught as Adelaide suffered a 75-84 defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the 2021-22 National Basketball League season, Saturday at Adelaide Arena.
Sotto went off for 12 first half points, shooting 4-of-6 from the field — including his first-ever triple as a pro. At 7-foot-3, the Ateneo High School product became the tallest player to ever knock down a triple in league history.
The Breakers though went on to check Sotto in the second half, limiting him to just a 1-of-2 clip the rest of the way. Sotto also grabbed seven rebounds in the loss.
Holding a six-point lead heading into the second half, the duo of Peyton Siva and Ousmane Dieng joined hands in giving the Breakers a 68-57 lead entering the final frame.
The 36ers never recovered in the final frame, only getting to as close as six points late in the contest.
New Zealand, who snapped its four-game skid, went up to 5-13 in the standings. Adelaide, meanwhile, fell to 5-12 — absorbing its fifth straight loss.
Hugo Besson led the way for the Breakers with 17 points while Siva added 16 points built on three triples. Dieng and Yanni Wetzell chipped in 13 and 11 points, respectively, with the latter also grabbing nine rebounds.
Both Daniel Johnson and Sunday Dech got 12 points apiece for Adelaide while Cameron Bairstow and Dusty Hannahs added 11 each.
Kai’s dad Ervin was watching on the stands for the first time this season.
Adelaide will next face Cairns on March 18 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
