Kai Sotto, Adelaide arrest skid with win vs Cairns

Kai Sotto made his defense felt as he helped steer the Adelaide 36ers past Cairns Taipans, 83-57, and arrest their slump in the National Basketball League (NBL) on Friday.

Sotto grabbed eight rebounds, two points, and two blocks in almost 18 minutes of action as the 36ers finally ended their five-game losing streak.

The hard-fought win also served as Adelaide's first victory since February 20, or when they pulled off an 82-71 decision against the same team.

Aside from Sottos' rebounding, also pivotal for the 36ers was Mitch McCarron's double-double effort of 21 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three assists and three steals as they improved to 6-12.

Adelaide pushed their 44-39 halftime lead to a 10-point spread at the end of the third period, 61-51, with Mccarron and Daniel Johnson leading the way. The payoff period just saw the 36ers dominating, outscoring the Taipans 22-6 en route to the win.

Cairns, meanwhile, had four players listing double digit outputs with Keanu Pinder hammering 15 points, 13 rebounds, and a steal in the losing cause.

Adelaide will eye to make it back-to-back wins when it faces Melbourne United on Sunday.

—MGP, GMA News