Basketball On The Internet.

ILLAWARRA was quickly slammed back to earth by South East Melbourne yesterday despite the looming and significant presence of big-man recruit Makur Maker, before Parker Jackson-Cartwright cut the 36ers down to size in a surprising New Zealand rout in Adelaide.

Jackson-Cartwright, who duplicated his 27-point, 10-assist return against Cairns, this time also secured 9 rebounds to go within a board of a rare triple-double.

The 36ers had no answer for the diminutive PG who wreaked havoc on Adelaide's best laid plans.

Nick Rakocevic was a keyway monster for the home team all match, eventually compiling career highs in points and rebounds with 29 and 16 respectively.

All eyes were on Dejan Vasiljevic, cruelly cut by the 36ers after last season and he opened with the game's first bucket, en route to 15 points at 50 per cent, with 3-of-5 threes.

Also stepping up was Breakers forward Mojave King as New Zealand's barnstorming 31-15 last quarter turned the game on its ear and concluded with an emphatic statement dunk from the former Next Star.

Adelaide had its chances but shooter John Jenkins (8 points on 3-of-15, 2-of-13 triples) missed too many open shots, Zylan Cheatham was an absurd 2-of-2 from the floor in 32:21 of action and the bench p;roduced a total of six points.

Bryce Cotton paired six assists with 19 points in another slow night, Adelaide's lack of depth in the absence of injured pair Flynn Cameron and Isaac Humphries exposed yet again.

In Melbourne, Maker's entry into the game for the Hawks paid immediately with a block followed by a dunk.

But the further the match went, the more South East Melbourne's extended and relentless pressure exposed Illawarra's glaring flaws as Nathan Sobey (24 points at 50 per cent, 6 assists) and Dash Daniels (16 points at 56 per cent, 8 rebounds, 6 assists) revelled in the victory.

Results Rd 3, Sunday

South East Melbourne Phoenix 113 (Sobey 24, Daniels 16, Schwartz 15, Hunter 12; Glover 11; Daniels 8 rebs; Daniels, Sobey 6 assts) d Illawarra Hawks 96 (Martin 17, Maker, Doyle 14, Narkle 13, Harvey 10; Hickey, Narkle 7 rebs; Doyle 11 assts) at John Cain Arena.

New Zealand Breakers 88 (Jackson-Cartwright 27, King 18, Vasiljevic 15, Mennenga 14; Jackson-Cartwright 9 rebs; Jackson-Cartwright 10 assts) d Adelaide 36ers 72 (Rakocevic 29, Cotton 19, Cheatham, Jenkins 8; Rakocevic 16 rebs; Cotton 6 assts) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre.