Brisbane have overcome a nightmarish first 90 seconds under new coach Justin Schueller to haul in a hot-and-cold Adelaide and win their NBL season opener 86-71.
The Bullets, rebuilt on and off-court after a ninth-placed finish last season, trailed 10-0 after 90 seconds and 15-0 a minute later against the 36ers on their sold-out home court on Friday night.
The visitor's fast start at Nissan Arena defied a troubled pre-season that saw them let import Jamaal Franklin go.
But things dried up for Adelaide, who scored just 25 points across the middle two quarters as the Bullets built a 15-point lead, only to see it reduced to four with two minutes to play.
But Nathan Sobey's (18 points) tough three-point play and a crucial tip-in and rebound from Aron Baynes (12 points, 13 rebounds) steaded the hosts and ensured an important win.
Versatile bench forward Sam McDaniel was also crucial in the fourth quarter, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
"It was a nightmare unfolding at the start," Schueller said.
"I love our composure, that we stayed the course and after the first five minutes found a way to control and dictate through our defence).
"Baynesy set the table really nicely ... everyone in the locker room had something to prove."
The Bullets dominated the boards 62-47 - 23 of those were offensive rebounds - and had seven blocks.
"The excitement of being 15 up; we ain't done that for a while (and we took) a few quick shots," 36ers coach CJ Bruton reflected on what changed.
"As the game unfolded Sobey did what Sobey was supposed to do.
"And the offensive rebounds. Brisbane pounded us."
Sobey had earlier kick-started Brisbane's run, darting along the baseline and slamming home a momentum-shifting bucket before pulling up twice for field goals in a telling second-quarter stretch.
A third foul kept Sobey sidelined but the Bullets kept the 36ers quiet without him to build a 15-point lead.
Isaac Humphries (17 points, seven rebounds) emptied the tank in his battle with Baynes and Tyrell Harrison, while athletic import Jacob Wiley (15 points, nine rebounds, five assists) and Trey Kell (nine points on four-of-17 shooting) started explosively for Adelaide.
They missed the impact of a third import, coach CJ Bruton with a tough call on whether to bolster his front and back court with Franklin's pending replacement.
Next Star Trentyn Flowers (four points, five rebounds, one assist in 15 minutes) was influential in the 36ers' fourth-quarter fight back.
Brisbane's 17-year-old Rocco Zikarski (two points, two rebounds, one block) had the crowd off their feet with an action-packed 28 second cameo to finish the clash.
The 2025 NBA draft prospect became the second-youngest Bullets debutant behind club great Brian Kerle.
"I should have subbed him in when we were rats in the first five minutes," Schueller mused.
