“It Was My Turn”: Kell III Speaks on Breakout Performance

South East Melbourne Phoenix import Trey Kell III says it was his turn to step up in the club’s fourth straight win on Sunday afternoon.

The Phoenix won an 103-98 overtime classic against the Adelaide 36ers, with Kell scoring 24 points, 20 of which came in the last quarter and overtime.

Kell was a standout player, leading the team in scoring and coming up clutch on several occasions.

“We go with whatever is working…there’s been games where Creeky (Mitch Creek) has been rolling, so we’re just gonna keep going to Creeky. There’s been games where Gary (Gary Browne) has been making great decisions out of the pick and roll and finding open shooters, so we’re just gonna keep going with him,” Kell III said.

“Tonight, it was my turn. We all have the same objective, we just want to win and whatever that game gives us, that’s what we’re gonna do.”

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The 26-year-old added the bond the team has, and their off-court relationships, have helped spark the winning streak.

“We’re a very close group off the court,” Kell said.

“We do everything together, we crack jokes on each other, so it’s very easy when you get on the court to have that trust in your teammate.

“It’s unusual how fast we clicked together. I think it’s just a testament to how we get along with each other off the court.

“We have a really good group of guys on this team.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">OT Thriller on the eve of Halloween ?<br><br>The Phoenix defended home court against the Adelaide 36ers ? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> <br><br>Check out the <a href="https://twitter.com/HungryJacksAU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HungryJacksAU</a> highlights <a href="https://t.co/oJJJhm59UI">pic.twitter.com/oJJJhm59UI</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1586704478593462273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell echoed Kell's thoughts, adding the chemistry has built up quicker than expected after an injury disrupted preseason.

“These guys have clicked and it’s a credit to them,” Mitchell said.

“These guys have clicked a little quicker than I would have anticipated on the fly, because we still haven’t had a lot of training sessions together.

“It’s a testament to the IQ of these guys, and just the willingness to sacrifice their personal game for their teammates, and it’s a good vibe down at our club.”

South East Melbourne take on arch rival Melbourne United in the first Throwdown of the season on Sunday and Mitchell is going to keep a watchful eye on them.

“I think the lead in, it’s just another game, we prepare the same way and we’ll just be thorough with our preparation,” he said.

“They’ve got a bit of a tough schedule this week, good, we’ll be watching them.”