GAME REPORT: Maluach and Robertson heroic in gutsy Kings win over JackJumpers

Result: Sydney Kings 71 Tasmania JackJumpers 68

Stats that matter: Kings 50 points inthe paint; JackJumpers 16 offensive rebounds; Kings 14/16 free throws; JackJumpers13 turnovers

Kings MVP: XavierCooks was efficient offensively, made plays whenever the Kings needed him to,and showed great leadership throughout.

Turning Point: A remarkable 10-0 run from the Kings late inthe fourth quarter turned the game on its head.

The game was over when: JackJumpers guard TaranArmstrong missed two free throws with two seconds remaining.

Trending in the right direction: Tyler Robertsonwas immense all night and made huge plays for the purple and gold.

Now that’s what you call guts anddetermination.

It was all aboutheart and character on Friday night in Launceston as the defending NBLtitleholders Sydney Kings showed their championship mettle in overcomingTasmania 71-68 at the Silverdome.

In what amounted tonothing less than a defensive slugfest all 40 minutes, an exhausted and beaten-up Kings – playing their fourth game on a brutal road trip – roared back froma seven-point deficit with less than four minutes remaining to stun the hometeam and return to the top of the NBL standings with a 7-3 record.

It took a run of tenstraight points to give Sydney the most unlikely of leads in the final periodafter they had trailed for most of the fourth, and all looked lost whenTasmania led 66-59.

The game-winning sequencewas keyed by two enormous triples from Makuach Malauch (eight points, sixrebounds) – who made his last three baskets after missing his first six shots –and an incredible hustle play from Tyler Roberston (10 points, three rebounds)who threw his body on the floor with no regard for his safety to grab amust-win loose ball with 39 seconds remaining.

Tyler would latercome through with two clutch free throws with 4.1 seconds remaining to give theKings their third victory in their last four games.

“The first thingeverybody talked about as soon as they got in the locker room was that exactplay (by Robertson),” Sydney Kings Head Coach Brian Goorjian said in thepost-game media conference.

“He ended upguarding (Will) Magnay and (Josh) Bannan; he got a box-out foul, got to thefoul line at the end, and made two free throws.

“Trying to keepthose guys off the glass was a huge task tonight, and we were undersized a lot tonightbecause (Andrew) Carr got hurt and (Harry) Wessels was a bit sick.

“That effort, the heart,the controllables tonight – Tyler was tremendous with that.”

Indeed, Robertsonwas a huge key throughout on a night where Kendric Davis (20 points, threerebounds, nine assists, three steals) and really, just about anyone elsewearing purple and gold struggled to get into much of an offensive flow.

The league’s bestoffensive team was restricted to just 35.6% shooting from the field and shotjust 5 of 26 from three-point range – and gave up a whopping 16 offensiverebounds – but somehow found a way in a game that was akin to the old SydneyCardiac Kids days between 1989 and 1992.

It was a major stepfor a young group to show they can win basketball games in a variety of waysand can get it done even when their vaunted offence is not firing on allcylinders.

“We’ve struggledwith the next play and dealing with disappointment during the game,” CoachGoorjian admitted.

“Today there was alot of frustration – a lot of bad mistakes at the offensive end, but it wasnext play, next play.

“I like that weknew where to go to win.

“Seven points downand only a few minutes to go – that’s like 20 down when you’ve scored 59points.

“So, it’s a belief,the next play, and where you go to win. That was there tonight and everybodycontributed in that area.”

In a venue wherescoring has been at a premium, the tone was set early with the Kings’ firstbasket – a triple to Torrey Craig (eight points, six rebounds) – at the 7:53mark of the opening quarter and despite eight points from KD and six fromXavier Cooks (15 points, six rebounds) the game was tied at 19 after one.

Sydney’s defencecame to the fore in the second period, as they held the JackJumpers to just 12points in the frame and led 37-31 at intermission despite shooting just 1 of 9from long distance.

Tasmania’s TaranArmstrong (13 points, six rebounds, three assists) hit back-to-back triples toopen the third quarter, and the fresher JackJumpers started to exert control,pounding a tired Kings on the glass.

The home teamthreatened to pull away several times, but Sydney fought to stay close,although a late run of ten straight points from Tasmania put the Kings in thedanger zone before Robertson made an important layup to keep his team withinjust five at the final change, down 55-50 after being outscored 24-13 in theframe.

Coach Goorjianpleaded with his exhausted troops for one final effort as the fourth period gotunderway, but things were looking grim when Will Magnay (nine points, 14rebounds) scored inside for that seven-point lead with four minutes remaining.

However, showingthe kind of heart and character that teams under Brian Goorjian are renownedfor, they found something from deep inside to storm back and get a W that willset up the remainder of their NBL27 campaign nicely.

The six-timeNational Basketball League champions now head home to the friendly confines ofAfterpay Arena as they take on the explosive South East Melbourne Phoenix onSunday 8 October as part of a special Hoops Capital double-header, togetherwith the red-hot Sydney Flames taking on the Southside Melbourne Flyers. TheFlames will tipoff at 12:30pm; the Kings will follow at 3:00pm. Tickets are onsale now for two world class games at Ticketek.

SYDNEY KINGS 71 (Davis 20, Cooks 15, Robertson 10)
TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 68 (Mathias 20, Armstrong 13, Bannan 11) at TheSilverdome, Launceston

CROWD: 3,255

BOXSCORE

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