Sixers put further heat on struggling Kings

The Adelaide 36ers were playing with the energy to make you think they were the ones fighting for their NBL playoff lives as they put another dagger into the Sydney Kings winning 95-82 in front of a record crowd.

The Sixers might remain on the bottom of the NBL but they did stun the league-leading Melbourne United back on Saturday night.

They were backing up on Thursday with another sold out Adelaide Entertainment Centre crowd setting a new record of 9580 for South Australian basketball.

The Kings arrived with their tilt at a third straight championship hanging by a thread after losing seven of the last 10 games, but they looked anything like a desperate team.

It was the 36ers who played full of energy, playing with a spark and who were in control of the contest most of the night on the way to the 13-point win.

The Sixers do remain in last place at 7-13 but have now won three of the last five under interim coach Scott Ninnis and outworked, and outhustled, the Kings.

Trey Kell III continued his standout form as point guard for Adelaide with 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists with Isaac Humphries adding 18 points, 12 boards and three blocks.

Sunday Dech was a spark with 13 points on top of stifling defence with Jacob Wiley adding 13 points, but all eyes were on two-time Sydney championship winner DJ Vasiljevic. He had 12 points and eight assists in his first game against his old team.

Ninnis was delighted to back up Saturday's win over Melbourne.

"I guess that's always the concern after such an emotional game on Saturday night, sometimes there can be a letdown and we spoke about there, and were determined to not make it happen," Ninnis said.

"You look at the Sydney Kings, they're the reigning champions and they were desperate coming in and there's talent everywhere you look with them.

"So to be able to come in with right mindset and to do what we did especially defensively early on was very, very pleasing."

The Kings are in the world of hurt having lost eight of the last 11 to sit at 10-11 before a grand final rematch on Sunday in Sydney against the New Zealand Breakers.

What would have frustrated coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah would be the poor shot selection, particularly quick three-pointers without getting into the offence. Sydney shot 5-of-33 from beyond the arc.

Even more of a concern was giving up 24 second chance points to Adelaide, 18 points off turnovers and combined with the 35 per cent field goal shooting, and it was a horror show from the Kings.

Former MVP Jaylen Adams top-scored with 20 points and four assists with Kouat Noi adding 11 points including a thunderous dunk late.

Angus Glover got more game time for 12 points with Jordan Hunter adding 10 points and nine rebounds in 17 minutes before fouling out.

"They are playing with the hunger, they're just struggling right now," Abdulfattah said.

"We are 3-8 in our last 11 games and it just doesn’t feel good when you're losing this many, and you just start to question yourself as an individual and what you're doing.

We're just struggling right now to make shots so we're trying to find that confidence, but we'll keep pushing through and the guys are all in it together and know what we have ahead."

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 15

ADELAIDE 36ERS 95 (Kell 27, Humphries 18, Dech 13, Wiley 13)

SYDNEY KINGS 82 (Adams 20, Glover 12, Noi 11)

BOX SCORE