Cooks' triple-double emphasises MVP case

Sydney Kings’ MVP finalist Xavier Cooks yet again proved his credentials for the league’s most coveted individual award after he recorded the first triple-double of the season.

Cooks’ triple-double of 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in Sunday’s game against the South East Melbourne Phoenix was the first in the NBL since now NBA star for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Josh Giddey, recorded one in 2021.

In front of their home crowd of 13,273 at Qudos Bank Arena, it was the perfect platform for Cooks to show out and display why he should be favoured over fellow MVP finalists Bryce Cotton and Mitch Creek.

“It’s a really cool achievement [triple-double], something that I’ve been trying to get for a little while now and I’ve been knocking on the door for so long,” Cooks said.

The aspiring NBA player spoke on the role he has played for the Kings and his comfortability to step up, get them to where they need to be and prepare for the Finals after locking in a top-two spot.

“My job is to keep everyone’s mojo up,” Cooks said.

“The defensive schemes that I’m facing now, I’m getting a bit more attention.

“It’s a different team this year, it’s a different bunch of guys and we’re focused on trying to go back-to-back and we don’t feel the pressure.”

RECORD CROWDS SEE KINGS SET NEW FRANCHISE MARKS

Coach Chase Buford supported Cooks’ comments and was content with where the Kings are sitting to eye a championship title for the second season in a row.

“This team has proven all year that when we get stops we can score, even sometimes when we don’t get stops we can score,” Buford said.

“When we do play well defensively we’re usually pretty dominant.”

The Kings play the Adelaide 36ers on Friday night at 7:30pm AEDT, which will be broadcast on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel.

Following that clash and Sunday's game at Perth, the reigning champions' Hungry Jack's NBL Finals Series is slated to run from February 15-20 (TBC) - with the harbour city side locked in to host series two of the playoffs, taking on the winner of the sudden death play-in game.

To ensure you don't miss any of the action at Qudos Bank Arena, from 9am, Sunday, February 5, full-season members will first be offered the chance to purchase their same seats (with this pre-sale ending at 7am Tuesday, February 7).

Then from 11am on February 7, all Kings members including partial season members will be able to purchase all other remaining tickets.

From 4pm Tuesday, February 7, the general public will be able to access the remaining tickets for the Kings' finals charge.

All information, including tickets, for our Hungry Jacks Finals Series tilt, can be found here.