Kings look to secure Adrian Hurley Cup against Hawks

The Sydney Kings will head south to Wollongong on Friday in search of their first piece of silverware of the NBL23 season - the Adrian Hurley Cup.

After defeating the Illawarra Hawks in the first two Freeway Series fixtures this campaign, a victory by Chase Buford's side on Friday at the WIN Entertainment Centre would see the Hoops Capital side win back the trophy for the first time since 2021.

A man that was involved in that very series but on the opposite side of the ledger with Kings forward Justin Simon, who also earmarks games against his former club.

"We had the first game of the year in Wollongong and that was a great environment for me and the whole team, so we're all looking forward to the clash," Simon said.

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"We're going down there looking for a win but know it's not going to be easy against an improved Illawarra side, who despite where they are on the ladder, play hard as hell every time they step on the court."

The round 11 fixture represents a chance for the Hoops Capital side to return to the winner's circle after Sunday's defeat to Tasmania.

"Sunday was obviously tough but we're all keen to respond in a big way this weekend," the St Johns alum said, who admits the group needs to work on not having lapses on defence and take better care of the ball down the stretch.

"We all took the criticism on board during our film session and have been getting after it this week at practice to rectify those issues, which will not only help us win this weekend's two games but also in the long run."

While he's always been one to take it one game at a time, Simon knows how important getting these two road wins will be for his side's attempt to cement top spot, ahead of a home-heavy festive schedule.

"These games are huge for us, against two really tough teams, from top to bottom," the 26-year-old said.

"Being able to get both of these will give us a lot of confidence heading into our upcoming home stand."

Both away fixtures (Friday vs Hawks at 7.30pm AEDT and Sunday vs Phoenix at 2pm AEDT) will be broadcast on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel - with the latter also being shown on 10 Peach.