Adelaide 36ers have stayed on course for a top-two NBL finish with a comfortable 112-93 win over the Illawarra Hawks in Wollongong.
Second-placed Adelaide's victory was their seventh straight and 15th in 23 games, effectively assuring them of a finals berth.
Illawarra dropped to 9-12 for the season to all but bow out of playoffs contention.
Starring for the 36ers were Boomers player Mitch Creek (21 points) and American imports Shannon Shorter (22) and Josh Childress (20).
"We did a great job of guarding a team that shoots the ball extremely well and they're always well coached and have a great game plan," Adelaide coach Joey Wright said.
"They're a high basketball IQ team. They do a good job of confusing teams.
"We did a great job of getting down and defending and making them take tough shots."
Demitrius Conger played a lone hand for the home team, tallying a game-high 31 points, while American guard Rotnei Clarke made just three of 22 shots to tally just eight points.
The Sixers led at every change, picking up where they left off from Friday night's comprehensive 112-90 home win over the Hawks.
Adelaide made 58 per cent of their shots, including 11 from 17 three-pointers.
The first period was an an old-fashioned shootout, producing the highest score by any team this season and the most by two teams combined.
The 36ers were unstoppable as they romped to a 39-30 lead, connecting on a sizzling 15 of 19 shots, including six of seven from three-point range.
The visitors stayed hot in the second period and took a commanding 66-49 lead into halftime.
The Hawks briefly cut the deficit to eight in the third period but Adelaide led 90-79 at three-quarter time and went on with the job.
"They're the form team in the league. They are just relentless," Hawks coach Rob Beveridge said of Adelaide.
"This is a really tough league and we came across a juggernaut tonight."
The Sixers face the Bullets in Brisbane in Round 16 on Saturday, while the Hawks host Cairns on Sunday.
Share
