Adelaide 36ers coach Joey Wright slammed his players for being selfish after their 21-point loss to the Perth Wildcats on Friday night.
He accused some of forgetting about the teamwork that has them on the verge of pinching a spot in the top-four, focusing instead on attracting personal accolades.
After beating Perth and Sydney last weekend, the 36ers jumped to an early lead against the Wildcats on Friday night.
But not much went right for them after the quarter-time buzzer.
And Wright dumped the blame fair and square on his players.
"We got in our own way, as a team," Wright said. "What the individuals wanted superseded what the team needed.
"I have not had a team at this point of the season thinking about themselves and we still have individuals thinking about themselves.
"This point of the season, most of my teams have all come together and figured out that teamwork means more than anything else. Now, it is disappointing we haven't got there."
Wright said that selfishness had haunted the 36ers team all season.
After a 3-2 start, that included two wins over the Sydney Kings, Adelaide lost four consecutive games in November.
They regrouped and won seven of nine games heading into the away clash against the Wildcats. That period included wins against all four teams above the fifth-placed 36ers.
But after scoring 32 points in the first quarter-time on Friday, the wheels fell off. The side that has scored 100 points or more in nine games this season, scored just 13 points in the second term and 11 in the third.
"It's been rampant throughout the season, which is why we have ebbed and flowed the way we have," Wright said.
"Most individuals who are selfish think about themselves when success is around.
"I don't know why people are selfish; I'm not. I'll have half a hamburger, you can have the other half."
At their best, the 36ers are as good as anyone in the competition.
A week ago, they enjoyed a 13-point win over Perth and a 20-point victory over the Kings.
"We showed what happens when we fix it," Wright said.
"We showed when guys play together, guys get NBA contract, guys make the Boomer teams, guys go on to great things. It's disappointing we're not doing that now."
The 36ers host another top-four side, Melbourne United, on Monday night.
