Kings' All-Round Talent Too Much for 36ers

Monday, December 5, 2022

The all-round talents of the Sydney Kings were on show at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday with the defending champs in control virtually the whole way to beat the Adelaide 36ers 97-78.

The Kings were coming off a rough overtime loss in Cairns, but set up a mouth watering top-of-the-table clash on Thursday now with the New Zealand Breakers thanks to a commanding home performance over the 36ers.

The Sixers did arrive having won at Qudos Bank Arena earlier this season and having won strongly at home to the Taipans on Friday night, but despite the best efforts of Daniel Johnson and Robert Franks, they couldn’t keep up with the Kings.

The win means Sydney has won five of its last six to improve to 9-3 to be back in top spot just ahead of the 11-4 Breakers while the 36ers are 6-6 after splitting their tough weekend.

While Johnson and Franks combined for 27 points in the opening half for Adelaide and 37 of their 78 for the game, they just didn’t get enough from everyone which was again where the Kings' great strength lied.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cooks pulled that ALL THE WAY BACK ? one of the dunks of the season!<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> live and free on 10 Peach and 10 play | live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/AZd0FEgsmw">pic.twitter.com/AZd0FEgsmw</a></p>— The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1599258508372762624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Kings finished the game shooting 55 per cent from the floor and scoring 52 points in the paint to 26. Again, the margin could have been greater than the final 19 had it not been for 12/20 free-throw shooting too.

Tim Soares top-scored for Sydney with 18 points, three steals and two rebounds on 7/11 shooting with Derrick Walton Jr terrific with 16 points and 11 assists.

Xavier Cooks added 15 points and seven boards while DJ Vasiljevic contributed 15 points and five rebounds on shooting 3/6 from three-point territory.

Kings coach Chase Buford was especially pleased with his team's defensive performance.

"It was a good performance from the guys. It's one where for the most part we executed the scouting report for the majority of the night," Buford said.

"Daniel Johnson got going a little bit and made some tough shots, but that's something you just have to live with. But the guys stuck with it, kept grinding and I thought our defensive performance was pretty good."

Meanwhile for the 36ers, Johnson top-scored with 21 points and five rebounds with Franks adding 16 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Kai Sotto chimed in with 13 points and four boards with Antonius Cleveland contributing 12 points and six rebounds.

Adelaide coach CJ Bruton always knew the challenge that presented coming off Friday's win at home over Cairns, and Sydney came as advertised.

"You have good days and bad days, and we came in positive but also a little tired. It takes a lot out of you to come back the way we did the other night and play the way we did," Bruton said.

"But I liked the effort of the boys and the challenge is always there. Being undermanned you have to show some fight and spirit, and I thought we did that over the weekend.

"We can take something good away, but playing the Sydney Kings they aren’t an easy to team to take on coming in here with the way they're playing, and they are who they are."

Sydney were playing for the first time since losing in Cairns on Monday and came out on a mission scoring the opening seven points including a couple of buckets to DJ Vasiljevic.

Adelaide worked back into the contest from there with Daniel Johnson and Antonius Cleveland leading the charge, but then the Kings went on another 7-0 run.

That set up a 24-17 lead despite a triple for Adelaide from Johnson late but the Kings lead could have been more had it not been for the 3/9 foul shooting with Xavier Cooks going 2/6.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Walton Jr is ??? assist man today! Prime delivery for Soares from 3??<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> live and free on 10 Peach and 10play | live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/ci9RlQo76N">pic.twitter.com/ci9RlQo76N</a></p>— The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1599263055988158467?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A crafty move under the basket from Zac Gattorna against his old team started a Kings 7-0 run again early in the second which ended with a Derrick Walton Jr triple as the lead got out to double-figures.

It got to 12 after a Jaylin Galloway dunk but it was Johnson keeping the Sixers somewhat in touch with his team's next seven points. Robert Franks then closed the half strongly for the 36ers with seven points and the two big men combined for 27 of Adelaide's 38 in the half.

However, the Kings remained in control and thanks to late threes from Vasiljevic and Galloway, the home team went into the locker room up 48-38.

The big men lit it up from deep to open the second half with three-pointers to Tim Soares, Johnson and Franks, but the Kings pulled away again with an 8-0 streak including four of those from Justin Simon to push their lead out to 15.

Cooks then brought Qudos Bank Arena to its feet with a stunning one-handed throwdown up over Kai Sotto. To Sotto's credit, he went up the other end to hit a three soon after but the Sixers were getting sloppy.

Sydney took full advantage closing the third quarter with long balls to Shaun Bruce and Vasiljevic to blow the lead out to 15 by three quarter-time again.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gattorna digging into his bag of tricks to impress the home crowd ?<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> live and free on 10 Peach and 10 play | live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/k5gDEXdJKZ">pic.twitter.com/k5gDEXdJKZ</a></p>— The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1599247572169678849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That Kings lead got out to a match-winning 19-point advantage to start the fourth and from there the reigning champs cruised to the win on their home floor by that same margin.

The Kings now head to Auckland to face the New Zealand Breakers in a top-of-the-table clash on Thursday to open Round 10. The 36ers will be back home to host the Perth Wildcats on Friday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 9

SYDNEY KINGS 97 (Soares 18, Walton Jr 16, Cooks 15, Vasiljevic 15)

ADELAIDE 36ERS 78 (Johnson 21, Franks 16, Sotto 13)

BOX SCORE