MANILA, Philippines — Kai Sotto and the Adelaide 36ers could not get back into the win column after losing steam in the endgame against South East Melbourne (SEM) Phoenix, 76-83, at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Friday.
Adelaide rode a Daniel Johnson-led comeback in the fourth quarter after trailing by as much as 13 points and even took the lead, 74-73, with 2:24 ticks left in the game.
But a 10-2 run by the Phoenix to end the game kept Adelaide slumping.
Sotto had quality minutes off the bench in the loss as he finished with four points, nine rebounds, two assists, one steal and three blocks.
Johnson paced Adelaide as the only player in twin-digit scoring with 31 points.
Mitchell Creek, for his part, led the Phoenix to victory with 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Adelaide fell to 5-10 in the standings while the Phoenix are 11-5 to maintain their place at No. 2.