"He's a generational player": Why Cotton sits in rare air

Sunday’s showdown between Adelaide and Cairns was one of the best games of the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 season so far.

Not only was it the first overtime game of the season, which the 36ers ended up winning by four points, but it also saw a shootout between two of the competition’s most lethal scorers.

Five time MVP Bryce Cotton finished with a game-high 41 points, while Australian Boomer Jack McVeigh put up a season-high 39.

In the post-game press conference, Cairns coach Adam Forde, who couldn’t have been prouder of the performance by McVeigh, had huge praise for three time champion Cotton.

“There aren't too many players like [Bryce],” Forde said.

“It's always an interesting conversation, especially with new guys coming into the league, and you sit here and you talk about Bryce Cotton and you’ve got to defend in this particular way, or he's really good at this.

“Especially with new imports coming in, they'll be like, there was a guy like that in Europe, or there was a guy like that in the G-League.

“I’m like, no, you’ve got to understand, he has a level of comfort in this NBL, which has him playing at this generational level.

“Last time we played him, it came down to the wire and final few possessions, and he has 52. He can single-handedly swing games in his favour and come out with that result.

“Then usually after the game, the new guys will come up to me and are like we see what you're talking about.

“[In defeat] there are the stages of denial, including frustration, anger, disappointment, sadness and at some point, it turns to acceptance that he's a generational player.

“I want to bring it back to my group, though, who I'm super proud of the way they battled. It sucks we lost, but it is what it is.”

The Taipans, who are 3-1 on the season, next host New Zealand on Saturday from 5.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.