Kings’ pre-season clash with Hawks abandoned due to court conditions

The Sydney Kings’ opening pre-season clash against the Illawarra Hawks was abandoned during the second quarter on Tuesday night after the playing surface at the Snakepit was deemed unsafe.

The Kings held a 32–27 advantage with three minutes and 24 seconds remaining in the first half when play was stopped due to condensation making the court slippery.

After consultation between the coaches and officials, the decision was made not to continue the game, with player safety the priority.

Despite the shortened contest, the night marked the first official appearances in Kings colours for new recruits Jayden Stone, Andrew Carr, Harry Wessels and Will Johnston.

Stone started the game and made an immediate impact, recording five points and four rebounds in just over 10 minutes.

Carr was perfect from the field in his first appearance for Sydney, scoring four points while adding three rebounds and an assist in just over seven minutes.

Johnston provided an early spark from beyond the arc, connecting on two three-pointers to lead the Kings with six points in his six minutes on court.

Wessels contributed two points, four rebounds and an assist in his first outing for Sydney.

Xavier Cooks added five points, three rebounds and two assists, while captain Matthew Dellavedova recorded four assists and two steals.

The game was Sydney’s first competitive hit-out of the pre-season and offered an early opportunity for the new-look group to begin building combinations ahead of the NBL27 campaign.

The Kings will now turn their attention to the remainder of their pre-season preparations before raising the NBL26 championship banner in their season opener at Afterpay Arena on Sunday, September 20.

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