Phoenix Crush Bullets with a Dominant All-Round Display

The South East Melbourne Phoenix continued their scorching form with a 109–86 demolition of the Brisbane Bullets on Saturday night, showcasing defensive steel, relentless effort, and another standout night from Nathan Sobey.

Fresh from a 33-point performance against the Kings, Sobey torched his former team with 29 points, drilling five triples and setting the tone for a Phoenix outfit that dominated every hustle statistic.

South East Melbourne raced to a 14–1 start at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, controlling the game from the opening tip. Their physicality overwhelmed the Bullets — forcing 17 turnovers, pulling down 26 offensive rebounds, and taking 26 more field-goal attempts than their hosts.

Even the ejection of import forward John Brown III after a second technical foul couldn’t derail them. The Phoenix simply kept the intensity rolling, piling on 37 points in the third quarter while holding Brisbane scoreless from three until the final minute of the term.

The victory, their third straight, lifts South East Melbourne to 5–2 on the season — those wins coming by a combined 80 points. It’s a clear message to the rest of the NBL: this is a team built to grind and suffocate opponents.

Jordan Hunter added 12 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Akech Aliir (10 points, five boards) and Angus Glover (10 points, four rebounds) gave the Phoenix valuable contributions off the bench. Hunter Maldonado filled the stat sheet with nine points, seven assists, three steals and four rebounds, and Malique Lewis added nine points and eight rebounds.

For Brisbane, Casey Prather top-scored with 18 points and five rebounds, Tyrell Harrison had 14 points and 10 boards, and Jaylen Adams managed 13 points and seven assists — but the Bullets never looked comfortable. They shot just 5-of-22 from deep and committed 17 turnovers, falling to 3–6 after back-to-back losses.

Sobey’s aggression set the tone early, opening with a triple and a tough driving lay-up, and the Phoenix never let up. Their pace, rebounding dominance, and defensive intensity buried Brisbane long before the final buzzer.

The Bullets stay home to face the Cairns Taipans in Thursday’s Sunshine Stoush, while the Phoenix host the Perth Wildcats next Sunday.

Final score: South East Melbourne Phoenix 109 defeated Brisbane Bullets 86.