Kings defeat Wildcats to secure third straight win

The Sydney Kings secured their third straight win on Sunday by defeating the Perth Wildcats 99-86 at Qudos Bank Arena. 

The victory, keeping the Kings’ perfect home record intact, was played in front of 10,546 fans and moved the Kings to second spot on the ladder.

Match summary 

Perth raced out to a 11-2 lead, after hitting four of their first five shots. Thankfully Jordi Hunter’s hustle kept the Kings in it, with the big man scoring his team’s first six points of the afternoon. A four-point play by Bryce Cotton saw the Cats’ stretch out to 12 (21-9) but Jonah Bolden (triple) and Jaylen Adams (and-one) ensured the purple and gold stayed within striking distance. The Hoops Capital side’s momentum continued and saw them tie the game at 21-all when Angus Glover landed a three (capping a 12-0 run). Sydney had their first lead of the round three contest when Denzel Valentine landed a long bomb form downtown. Late scores by Alex Toohey and Jaylin Galloway (following a steal in the final second) gave Mahmoud Abdelfattah’s side a 28-26 lead at the first change. 

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Another triple by the NBL22 MVP saw the Kings move out by five points, with back-to-back buckets by Bankstown product Bolden consolidating it. Consecutive triples by Corey Webster and Michael Harris tied it up at 39-all midway through the second, but Hunter’s relentless attack on the ring – combined with Valentine’s shooting – put the harbour city side up 46-39 with 1.21 to play in the half. An exceptional back-door alley-oop from Shaun Bruce to Hunter put an exclamation point on a strong half by the hosts – who led 50-42. 

A pair of quick triples by Toohey forced John Rillie into a time-out, as the margin stretched to 15. Despite the break in play, the Kings kept their lead thanks to a huge putback jam by Hunter – even though they missed numerous three-point attempts in a row. The scoring drought was snapped by a Koaut Noi and-one, which helped the two-time defending champs lead 70-62 at the final change. 

That advantage ballooned back to double figures on the back of an 8-2 start to the term, sparked by six points from Michigan State alum Valentine. Noi and Bolden’s work in the paint – on both ends – kept the visitors at bay. The magician Adams then began to weave his wand, as the lead grew to 17 – with him get to the rack at will. Down the stretch, both teams emptied their benches – as the Kings ran out winners by 13. 

Where the match was decided 

The biggest factor in the Kings’ win was the rebounding discrepancy (58-30 in Sydney’s favour). 

Other statistical wins by Sydney were assists (22-16), points in the paint (50-32) and second-chance points (25-13) - made all the more impressive but the fact the Kings could only manage 7/40 from downtown. 

Player of the game 

Adams once again starred with 18 points, six dimes and four boards, while big man duo Hunter (20 points and nine rebounds) and Bolden (11 points and 15 boards) dominated. 

Others to shine in the triumph were Valentine (13 points) and Galloway (12). 

Watch Kouat Noi and Mahmoud Abdelfattah break down the Kings' round three win over Perth via Sydney Kings' YouTube channel above. While you're there, be sure to hit subscribe, to ensure you never miss out on any of our great videos.

What’s next 

Abdelfattah’s side, who are now 4-1, will be back at Qudos Bank Arena next Sunday to host the Tasmania JackJumpers. 

Tickets for the 3.45pm class on October 22 are still available here.