Kai Sotto scores double-double in Adelaide 36ers’ preseason loss

Kai Sotto during the Adelaide 36ers preseason game. –ADELAIDE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Kai Sotto posted a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds in limited action as Adelaide yielded to Perth, 98-87, in a preseason game on Friday at Eaton Recreation Center.

The 7-foot-3 was solid in his first game back with the 36ers since being undrafted in the 2022 NBA Rookie Draft. He shot 4-of-5 from the field in 12 minutes and 36 minutes of play.

Bryce Cotton and Tayshawn Thomas powered the Wildcats, who surged in the third quarter to pull away in their tune-up match.

Cotton had 20 points and four assists, while Thomas chipped in 19 points.

Luke Travers also contributed for Perth with 16 points and nine rebounds. Mitch Norton delivered 12 points and six assists, as Todd Blanchfield had 10 markers, five dimes, and four boards.

Adelaide banked on Antonius Cleveland, who had 23 points. Daniel Johnson had 12 points, while Sotto was the team’s third-leading scorer.

The 36ers and Wildcats clash in another preseason match on Sunday.

Sotto and Co. will also play the OKC Thunder and Phoenix Suns in October as part of their build-up for the 2022-23 National Basketball League, where they seek to rise from a 10-18 finish from the previous season.

The 20-year-old Filipino, who played for Gilas Pilipinas in the fourth window of the Fiba World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifier, decided to run it back with Adelaide after his name was left out in the 2022 NBA Draft.