Adelaide Coach Slams NBL Referees for Allowing Kings to 'Beat Up' MVP Cotton
A frustrated Mike Wells has claimed the referees of the NBL championship series are allowing the Sydney Kings to "beat up" Bryce Cotton with defence more akin to football than basketball. The Adelaide 36ers coach said he would have to rewatch the team's game-three loss to the Kings when he was feeling less emotional to determine whether to lodge a formal complaint with the NBL.
Series on the Brink After 106-93 Loss
The 36ers fell 2-1 behind in the best-of-five series with Sunday's 106-93 loss, leaving their hopes of a first title since 2002 to hinge on a crucial game-four win in Adelaide on Wednesday. Wells was particularly frustrated to have been on the wrong end of the foul count in both losses during the series. The Sixers trailed by only three points at the final change on Sunday despite finishing with 24 fouls blown against them compared to the Kings' 11.
Most notably, the Kings gave up only four fouls after halftime, and no fouls were called on Matthew Dellavedova as he marked six-time NBL MVP Cotton. "The main guy that's on Bryce Cotton had zero fouls ... they literally draped all over him," said an incredulous Wells. "If they want to beat up the MVP and take him out, that's what the refs have allowed him to do."
Cotton's Limited Impact Due to Physical Defense
Cotton drew only three fouls in 39 and a half minutes on court, significantly limiting his offensive opportunities. Wells took particular issue with the defensive technique of Dellavedova, known for his physicality. "If Matthew Dellavedova is jumping in front of Bryce Cotton all the way up the floor, then I believe he is not in legal guarding position if Bryce is trying to go around him," he explained.
"There has to be freedom of movement, we have to be able to see the hands and he has to beat guys to a spot so Bryce can actually play basketball and we're not playing footy. I know it's footy season, but that's a different game right now. We've got to play basketball."
Wells Considers Formal Complaint After Emotional Loss
Asked if he would seek clarity from the NBL about the officiating, Wells was introspective. "I don't really know how to answer it at this point right here in this moment because I do have a lot of emotion about it," he admitted. The coach emphasized that the game-three performance mirrored their earlier loss, stating, "That was the exact same game as game one except the points differential was different. We were in this game to win this game, but we didn't have a chance to do that."
The Adelaide 36ers now face a must-win situation in game four to keep their championship hopes alive, with Wells' criticism highlighting ongoing concerns about officiating consistency in the NBL finals series.
