Surging Adelaide want DJ back in the NBL

Adelaide have continued their late season charge for an NBL finals spot with two more wins and hope to sign former centre Daniel Johnson this week.

Surging Adelaide have propelled themselves to the verge of the NBL top four and could add further fuel to their playoff push and more artillery to their arsenal with the possible return of 36ers fan favourite, Daniel Johnson.

Fifth-placed Adelaide (10-11 ) are now just behind Melbourne (10-10) after racking up two more wins.

The 36ers won 106-102 away to Perth in front of a stadium record crowd of 13,559 on Friday and then backed up on Sunday with a hard-fought 83-78 home victory over last-placed Wollongong.

Mid-season recruit Brock Motum tallied 31 points and 13 rebounds against Perth and the forward added 17 and 11 against Wollongong

Guard Jamar Wilson, Adelaide's only import, also had a big double, racking up 19 points against the Wildcats and 27 versus the Hawks.

Melbourne lost 88-75 away to ladder leaders New Zealand Breakers in Sunday's other game.

Breakers' guard Cedric Jackson notched a triple double of 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, while United's league-leading scorer Jordan McRae was held to just two points on one of 14 field goal attempts.

The 36ers latest brace of wins made it seven wins from their past nine starts, prior to which they had dropped seven straight.

They could soon be strengthened by the addition of former centre Johnson, Adelaide's MVP for the past three seasons and an NBL first-team All Star in the 2013-14 campaign.

A free agent after last season, he left to play in Puerto Rico, but more recently in Poland, where his game time has declined.

Both Adelaide and Perth officials are believed to have contacted his management about returning to Australia.

Third-placed Perth, who are coming off back-to-back losses for the first time this season, added journeyman guard Luke Martin to their roster last week.

But they need big man reinforcements, with injuries sidelining their premier centre Matthew Knight along with Earnest Ross.

In the 36ers favour is Johnson's familiarity with coach Joey Wright's system and that he has a property in Adelaide, where his partner hails from.

Johnson, who was still in Poland on Sunday, would need to sign up in time to suit up for Friday's game in Wollongong and all of Adelaide's seven remaining regular season games to be eligible to play in the finals.

"We're obviously huge fans of DJ," Wright told AAP.

"Right now the only place we're getting beaten is on the boards, and DJ can help change that."

With second-placed Cairns (16-6) squeezing out a 80-76 home win over Sydney for their ninth win from their past 11 hitouts, the Taipans have a week to rest before having the chance to open up a bigger gap over Perth (12-7), who they host next Saturday.

"They (Perth) have got to play Melbourne on WedneSday in Perth and then play in Townsville on Friday and then play us on Saturday, so it will be a big week for them," Cairns coach Aaron Fearne told AAP.

Sydney snapped their five match losing streak by winning 89-81 at Townsville on Friday, but the defeat by Cairns the following night leaves the sixth-placed Kings two victories off fourth spot.


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Source: AAP


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