Creek Praises Cotton Show Despite Finals Elimination

The South East Melbourne Phoenix are the first team to be eliminated via the Play-In Qualifier in NBL history, after a final quarter blitz from the Wildcats relegated them to a seven-point loss.

The Phoenix entered the fourth quarter in cruise control with a 13-point lead, but Bryce Cotton and TaShawn Thomas led the Wildcats to a 41-point quarter to overcome the ailing Phoenix.

Cotton had little influence on proceedings in the first half, but exploded for 20 points in the final quarter.

While he reflected on the disappointment of such an early exit, Phoenix co-captain and third-place MVP Mitch Creek says, in his opinion, why Cotton proved why he’s the best player in the league.

“If you don’t think Bryce Cotton is one of the best imports in any league ever you’re an idiot,” Creek said post-game.

“He’s the MVP of this league – I don’t care what anybody says. Congratulations to Cooks, full respect to him, [but] Bryce is the MVP of the league every year and he demonstrated why tonight.

“He’s not limited to one or two areas. He does everything.”

“He’s without a doubt one of the greatest imports ever seen in the basketball scene. We’ve got a lot to learn, and we’ve got a lot to understand as well.

“We’ve got to be proud of where we are , but we have to understand how to get to that next level and what it takes.”

While the Phoenix fought through numerous injury and personnel issues over the course of the season to make the Finals, there will still be some people who are quick to label their campaign, overall, as a failure.

Creek wholeheartedly disagrees with the idea NBL23 was a disappointing one for his side.

“People will jump online and say it’s a failed season and we such and all of that,” he said.

“People need to take a step back and realise it wasn’t a failed season – I don’t view it as that for us.

“We’ve progressed every year, and even with the setbacks we’ve had one of our winningest seasons yet.

“It’s not going to be a long off-season, it’s going to be a short one because we’re going to have a chance to rebuild this thing and do it properly.

“You can’t really describe what teams go through unless you’re in there every day fighting for it.”

“This is probably one of the most disappointing losses I’ve ever been a part of,” head coach Simon Mitchell added.

“It’s a special group – one of the most beautiful groups I’ve ever been a part of which probably adds to the disappointment we weren’t able to close the game out.

“I truly feel like we had the ability to do something special this year.”

Ryan Broekhoff played just 14 minutes on his comeback from a groin injury and finished with five points on the night, although Ruben Te Rangi stepped up well with some tidy three-point shooting in Broekhoff’s absence.

Head coach Simon Mitchell says Broekhoff didn’t play a larger role due to his match fitness.

“He started to have some issues and I was told that if we go with him he won’t be good for the next game, and if we really go with him it might be it for the season,” Mitchell said post-game. “It was a balancing act, I thought we did ok balancing it – we had a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter.

“When it got to the point where I asked him if he still had a little bit of juice he said he could go a little.

“You have to go with your vet, you’ve got to go with the guys who have done it for you before, and we needed an extra guy in the rotation.”