HORSHAM basketballer Mitch Creek has spoken out about the Adelaide 36ers' disappointing loss to the Perth Wildcats in game three of the NBL grand final series.
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The Wildcats blew Creek's 36ers away in the final game of the best-of-three series.
Creek finished the series with an average of 4.3 points and 2.3 rebounds a game, but battled a bad bout of food poisoning before game one that limited his contribution.
Creek said the team was disappointed to have lost the final game, but was still proud of its achievements after finishing last in the 2012-13 season.
"Coming from last place to the finals is something not many people have done before," he said.
"To play two best-of-three finals series and win one of them and narrowly miss out in the next was a credit to everyone in the organisation.
"If anyone said to us at the start of the season there was going to be one game to win it all, we would have taken that."
Creek admitted his bout of food poisoning, which also affected two Adelaide team-mates, had been ill-timed, but said there was nothing they could do about it.
"I threw up half a dozen times throughout the day, didn't really get out of bed until six o'clock, and then played an hour later," he said.
"It obviously wasn't ideal, and I felt like my whole life had stopped and every bit of bad karma that I'd ever had hit me all at once.
"We were all fit and healthy in game three though, and we just weren't lucky enough on the day."
Creek will spend the next few weeks enjoying a break from basketball, including doing recovery sessions with AFL side Essendon.
He will then join fellow Horsham basketball player Shane McDonald at SEABL club Nunawading for the remainder of the season.
Creek's contract with the 36ers will expire this year, meaning he is a free agent.
He said his goal was to remain in Adelaide, but didn't rule out playing elsewhere next season.
"The club is excited about how far we've come, but there are only two players on contracts for next year and I'm not one of them," he said.
"I love the club and I love Adelaide and I've got a lot of friends and family here, so I don't want to move.
"At the same time I've got to do what's best for me and my basketball, and that might mean continuing in Adelaide and it might not."
No matter where he signs for next season, Creek said he would return better and healthier.
After returning from achilles and back issues last year, he said an injury-free pre-season would help him take his game to the next level.