Buford Fumes Over Calls

The rollercoaster that has been the NBL23 Championship Series has continued. Had the Kings defeated New Zealand in Sunday evening’s Game 4 they’d have hoisted their second consecutive title. Instead, they blinked – and we’re going to a Game 5.

The Breakers surged to a 12-point lead in a low scoring first half, but a third quarter blitz form the Kings saw the margin cut to just two entering the final term.

Breakers majority owner Matt Walsh tweeted he was unhappy about the quality of refereeing in the series so far during New Zealand's Game 3 defeat, complaining about the perceived number of excess fouls called against his team.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Maybe they’ll just foul our entire team out.</p>&mdash; Matt Walsh (@mattyvincent44) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattyvincent44/status/1634135354683916290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A prickly Buford was quick to criticise the referees following the defeat before storming out of the post-match press conference.

“After Matt Walsh’s tweet I knew exactly how it was going to be called, and it was called exactly how I thought it would,” he said.

“We knew we were going to get hosed, and we said we had to weather the storm and stick together, and I don’t think we did a great job of that to be fair, but we just have to handle it better.

“There was no freedom of movement, at one point it was 11-2 in the foul count in the second half – we were playing five on eight out there.

“It’s always tough to go out there and compete against eight.”

RELATED: Game 5 ticketing information

Buford picked up a technical foul at an integral point in the fourth quarter coming out of a timeout.

Jarrell Brantley hit the technical free throw to hand his side a seven-point lead, before Tom Abercrombie and Barry Brown Jr both hit shots to extend it to 12.

“It was a terrible tech on my part, I have to be better,” Buford sarcastically said post-game.

“I mean, I clapped, like a golf clap – but I guess that’s worthy.

“I look at Mody, phwoah. But I guess that’s worthy.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SydneyKings</a>&#39; coach Chase Buford has frustratedly walked out of the post match media conference after being questioned about the physicality of the game. <a href="https://t.co/eH0cPFkK4a">pic.twitter.com/eH0cPFkK4a</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1634820938054373376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After returning to a near full workload in Game 3’s win after suffering multiple corkies in Game 1, league-MVP Xavier Cooks finished the game with 10 points on just three of nine shooting.

He also added five rebounds, three assists and a block, but Buford believes his star player is some way short of being full strength.

“Not even close,” Buford said of Cooks’ fitness. “He’s extremely brave, he’s unselfish, he’s a warrior, he’s a competitor. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe what he’s doing right now.”

Game 5 will see the Breakers and Kings return to Sydney, with a packed out Qudos Bank Arena yet again expected.

You can catch the game live and free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies, and Sky Sport and Prime in New Zealand.

RELATED: Game 5 ticketing information