Adelaide’s NBL title tilt continues to gather momentum during a critical part of the season, with star import Ian Clark bolstering a 36ers’ side coming off back-to-back home wins.
The Sixers confirmed the league’s worst-kept secret on Tuesday morning, with the NBA and NBL championship winning guard expected to be available to play on Christmas Eve when CJ Bruton’s side hosts South East Melbourne Phoenix at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
Clark was a part of the Golden State Warriors’ 2017 NBA championship winning team and was a key factor in the Sydney Kings’ title run last season.
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The signing is a major boost for a squad reinvigorated by a mid-season reset that yielded impressive wins over Brisbane and Tasmania ahead of the key clash with the Phoenix.
“You need repeat success and I thought we did that over these past two games, but we’re not patting ourselves on the back too much,” Bruton said.
“I’ll keep my ‘grumpy’ hat on and let them know when I show them film just exactly what we need to do to keep getting better because the teams that we play over the next month are above us.
“We all want the same thing – to get to the promised land and have a shot at (the title).”
Bruton was compelled to take a different tack with his inconsistent squad that struggled at home and had an underwhelming 6-8 record at the halfway mark of the season.
A late start to the season after a busy US trip that included a win over the Phoenix Suns and team unrest associated with fiery import Craig Randall II, who was released after six games, were factors in the Sixers’ inconsistent form.
But Bruton is determined to ensure that the last 14 games of his team’s season will look a lot different to the first 14.
“I don’t think that we did ourselves justice in the first 14 games and I let that be known to the group from both an individual standpoint and a team standpoint,” he said.
“While it’s sad to sit here and tell you that, it’s a reality.
“We all have our own moods and feelings but right now I feel like we need to keep harnessing our group’s (energy) and finding the pulse of our team.”
The wins against the Bullets and the JackJumpers evened the Sixers’ season ledger at 8-8 and provided the perfect start to a crowded Christmas schedule that will see them play five games in 15 days.