Kings do enough to get one back on 36ers

The Sydney Kings have warmed to the task in the second to snap a losing slide and keep their NBL finals prospects alive with a hard earned 85-75 win over the Adelaide 36ers at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday.

With both teams playing for their playoff lives, the Kings made a fast start going up 11 early but by half-time the 36ers had turned the tide in their third game in NSW in a week to go into half-time up five.

That turned into an eight-point lead to start the second half thanks to Brandon Paul, but it was all Sydney from there as they outscored Adelaide 48 points to 30 from that point to set up the eventual 18-point win.

It's a significant result in the seasons of both clubs with the Kings improving to 15-15 despite the news that has come out with Adam Forde departing as coach at season's end. That has Sydney right within touch of a top four spot but it could be curtains on the hopes of Adelaide who are now 13-18.

As the game wore on, the Kings' offence ran much smoother than that of the 36ers with quick shots and poor shot selection becoming the order of the second half. But Sydney ran their offence better highlighted by 22 assists to just 12 from the Sixers.

Casper Ware might have just 2/11 for 13 points but did well running the Kings' offence with 12 assists – his career-high and the most by a Sydney player in the 40-minute era.

Jarell Martin was a force too with 20 points, nine rebounds and three assists while Jordan Hunter contributed 15 points, Daniel Kickert 12 points, Craig Moller 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Shaun Bruce seven points and three assists.

Xavier Cooks started in his second game of the season and got through 17 minutes for six points and four rebounds.

Sydney coach Adam Forde was happy with the way they came out from half-time with a greater sense of purpose which they were able to maintain.

"It's been a couple of games in-a-row now where the offence has been a little bit slow to get going and stagnant so we're trying to lock it down on the defensive side of things, and cause that infliction onto Adelaide was the difference for us," Forde said.

"We needed to come out of half-time with a little bit more sense of urgency and I thought we did that. You don't really want to call it momentum, but the good thing was that we took the wind out of their sails."

The Sixers did well to assume control of the game during the second term and to be well on top early in the third quarter, but they couldn’t quite sustain it to the frustration of coach Conner Henry.

Daniel Johnson and Brandon Paul both had good impact offensively for the Sixers with the former finishing with 23 points and seven rebounds, and the latter 21 points and four boards.

Jack McVeigh added 12 points and five rebounds but the absence of Isaac Humphries and Tony Crocker struggling with an injured hand didn’t help.

Adelaide coach Conner Henry pointed to the lack of commitment to execute on the offensive end as the biggest factor in them finding themselves where they are right now.

"We are pretty much out of this thing now, we are going to need a miracle now, I hate to say that. But the game was there for us and I thought we prepared well for it. There were numerous time where fatigue might have played a factor in it," Henry said.

"We are really disappointed as an organisation to be in this place right now and I don’t feel as though I've done a very good job overall the whole year in certain areas. We have to ride this season out now and there will be some shorter rotations going ahead."

The Kings dominated the opening quarter with two big runs firstly scoring nine straight to lead 9-3 and then going on another 9-0 run to be up 18-7. 

They still led 18-12 by quarter-time on Jarell Martin's 10 points and Casper Ware's six assists while holding Adelaide to hitting 5/23 from the field and 2/15 from three-point land.

The Sixers were able to build some momentum through the second quarter, though, and when they went on a 9-0 run through the middle of the term, they opened up a six-point advantage.

Adelaide fired back late in the first half but Daniel Johnson scored six late points for Adelaide to put the visitors up 42-37 at the major break.

Brandon Paul converted a three-point play to open the second half too and Adelaide were out by eight, and in control of the game. But the Kings took control from there and would go on a 10-2 run including three balls from Xavier Cooks and Daniel Kickert.

Sydney then closed the third quarter on another 12-2 run and then continued on to start the fourth term with three-pointers from Kickert, Martin and Shaun Bruce. 

Adelaide gave it one last charge and were back within two after big threes from Johnson and Paul, but the Kings responded for the next seven points and to go on to win by 10.

The Kings now face a fascinating challenge with two games to come in New Zealand against the Breakers on Thursday and Saturday while the 36ers are at home to host the Illawarra Hawks on Friday and the Perth Wildcats on Sunday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 18

SYDNEY KINGS 85 (Martin 20, Hunter 15, Ware 13)

ADELAIDE 36ERS 75 (Johnson 23, Paul 21, McVeigh 12) 

BOX SCORE