Bullets Savage Rusty Phoenix in Brisbane

Records tumbled as South East Melbourne Phoenix returned to the NBL for the first time in nearly a month, only to be savaged by the Brisbane Bullets 100-84 at Nissan Arena on Saturday.

It had been 28 days since the Phoenix had last played an NBL match - a loss to the Sydney Kings - and they came out showing more rust than the Titanic as the Bullets surged to a 22-2 lead in the first quarter and a game high 31-point lead by the third quarter. 

Only a 31-21 final quarter spared the Phoenix from complete annihilation as the Bullets eased off with the win in their keeping. 

It wasn't just a lack of game time, there were clear fitness issues after COVID-19 ripped through the Phoenix roster - they just couldn't compete with the Bullets energy. 

Ironically, it was the Bullets who looked similarly lethargic in their loss in return to action against New Zealand on Sunday. They clearly benefited from having a run under their belts.

The stats leapt off the page. It was the biggest first-quarter lead that foundation club Brisbane Bullets have ever piled onto an opposition team - including in championship years and the era of 12 minute quarters.

It was also the lowest scoring quarter the Phoenix have ever produced. No team in NBL history has ever recovered from a 28-point half-time deficit. That is still the case.

Stormtroopers in Star Wars had more chance of hitting their target than the Phoenix players in the decisive first quarter. Any hope of a comeback were quickly dashed as their defence suffered more breakdowns than a 1982 Holden Camira in the second quarter. 

Mitch Creek (19 points, eight rebounds) and Xavier Munford (17 points, six rebounds) were the only players in double digits heading into the final quarter. With the game lost, Kyle Adnam (13 points including three triples) and Izayah Le'afa (12 points, five rebounds) filled their boots.

Ryan Broekhoff was reported to have been heavily impacted by COVID but managed 13 points in a last quarter cameo, while Chinese international and former NBA player Zhou Qi (two points, five rebounds) was outpointed by compatriot and Bullets rookie Chuanxing Liu (six points, five rebounds).  

Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell said it was no secret that the COVID-enforced break contributed to the first quarter blowout, but paid credit to the Bullets for their performance.

"(The long break) definitely had to have contributed, it looked like we were stuck in mud. We rotated pretty quickly and the guys that came in looked like they were stuck in mud too," he said.

"There is a reason for it, we haven't had the ability to get up and down with any consistency over those 28 days. "You have to look at where Brisbane is at too, they cut us to ribbons with their energy. To talk about us ... it takes a little bit too much away from the performance they put on."

Robert Franks (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Nathan Sobey (18 points, four rebounds, four assists) led the Bullets again but Lamar Patterson, Anthony Drmic and Tyrell Harrison also reached double figures.

The win was significant for the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Bullets who have now beat the top three sides in #NBL22 (Perth, Illawarra and South East Melbourne) but have lost to cellar dwellers Tasmania and New Zealand.

Bullets coach James Duncan was pleased with the way his charges bounced back from the Breakers loss but said the challenge now was stringing together consecutive wins after frustrating losses have punctuated their season.
"We played the right way, the guys took the challenge to step on the floor ... bring more energy, bring more effort, all the things that we talked about in the regular season and even in pre-season," Duncan said.

"COVID is a real thing affecting all teams within the league, but in saying that we understand we have the pieces to compete and win some games, the challenge for us now is to win another game, then win another game, that is the big challenge for us right now.

"Our mindset is we have to learn from our first six games. There is a way to play basketball and when we play the right way, we will have success.

"It is nice to beat some of the top teams, but we have to take care of business - especially at home. We have an opportunity to get on a little bit of a streak now."  

There was early drama as Zhou Qi's elbow found the head of Sobey, which triggered a lengthy review and ultimately an unsportsmanlike foul on the Chinese superstar.

While the match was billed as the battle of the Chinese bigs, it was Brisbane centre Tyrell Harrison who had an early impact with back-to-back baskets and a block on Qi. The Bullets were scoring at will and surged out to an 11-0 lead, prompting a South East Melbourne time out. 

Qi managed to return the favour with a block on Harrison but the Bullets were still well in command as Franks splashed a triple to push the lead out to 16-2. It got worse for the Phoenix as Jason Cadee hit an off-balance triple and earn a free throw from a foul as a bonus. 

Jack Salt rubbed salt into the wounds with a vital basket and block in the closing exchanges of the quarter. By the time the dust settled, the Bullets led 31-6.

There were promising signs in the second quarter for the Phoenix as they score two quick baskets and got two quick stops. But scoreboard pressure and desperation plagued them and they struggled to make a dent in the deficit. 

The rusty Phoenix scoring clip was hovering around 20 per cent, but the momentum started to swing as Brisbane missed free throws, put backs and handed over possession on multiple occasions. At one point the lead shrunk to 18, but consecutive buckets to Brisbane restored order. 

The defensive breakdowns reared their ugly head again and the Bullets were having their way with the Phoenix, going into half-time in a commanding 57-29 position. 

It was already time to start blazing away and Munford, Creek and Le'afa duly obliged with consecutive triples. The trouble was, the Bullets were replying from long range right back.

Mitch Creek missing both free throws late in the third quarter to gift Brisbane fans free Hungry Jacks burgers was the final item on the menu as the Bullets feasted on the Phoenix's misery to complete a massive win.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 7

BRISBANE BULLETS 100 (Sobey 18, Patterson 17, Drmic 14)

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 84 (Creek 19, Munford 17, Adnam 13, Broekhoff 13) 

BOX SCORE