Kings rule over Phoenix in NBL Cup Game Six

Written by Matt McQuade for Kings Media 

Result: Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings 91 South East Melbourne Phoenix 85

Stats That Matter: Kings 52% FG; Rebound count Kings 41 Phoenix 34; Kings 56 points in the paint; Kings 94% FT

Kings MVP: Dejan Vasiljevic. Stepped up in crunch time and made some huge shots.

Turning Point: A 19-4 run in the third period turned the game in Sydney’s favour.

The game was over when: The Phoenix missed three triples in the final 25 seconds.

Trending in the right direction: Jordan Hunter was outstanding in the post once again.

A tremendous second half defensive performance has helped the Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings snap a two-game losing streak with a gritty 91-85 victory over the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Saturday night at John Cain Arena in Melbourne.

After giving up 33 second quarter points to trail 47-41 at the half, the Kings hunkered down defensively in the final 20 minutes, holding the Phoenix to just 38 points in the second half in an excellent bounce back performance.

“We’re still guilty of that one broken quarter, the second quarter where we gave up the 33 points,” said Head Coach Adam Forde.

“We’re doing pretty good in the first and fourth quarters, now it’s just about maintaining that level of intensity and focus.”

“But credit to the guys for exactly that. They came out for the second half with a little bit more intent and we got the job done.”

Sydney shot the ball at an efficient 52% from the field, had a whopping 56 points in the paint and equalled the sixth best free throw shooting performance in franchise history by going 16 of 17 from the charity stripe, but it was the team’s work on the boards that was a huge key to the victory, with the Kings winning the rebounding count 41-34 and restricting the Phoenix to just 10 second chance points, something that has been an issue in Sydney’s losses this season.

“We give up 22 second chance points against Cairns, we lose, we give up 20 second chance points against Illawarra, we lose, and in all these games it’s virtually the deciding factor when the margins are three or four points,” Coach Forde said.

“There was a real sense of desire amongst the group to collectively get in there. I mean, Casper (Ware) had ten rebounds. Everybody who stepped on the court got a rebound, and that’s what needs to be done.”

“Again, credit to the guys to step that up and really make a point of it.”

Remarkably, Casper Ware (11 points, 10 rebounds, six assists) was held scoreless in the first half, but his seven points early in the third quarter keyed a game-changing 19-4 run, turning an eight-point deficit into what would eventually become an eight-point Sydney lead at the end of the third period, 73-65, on the back of a 30-18 period for the purple and gold.

In the fourth quarter, it was the standout Rookie of the Year candidate Dejan Vasiljevic (19 points, four rebounds, two assists), who came to the fore, with the ultra-talented guard showing enormous confidence in hitting some huge shots to continually hold the Phoenix off.

But importantly, this time Sydney’s two offensive stars had a lot of help. It started with Jordan Hunter (15 points, four rebounds) who was outstanding in the low post and pulled off one of the dunks of the season with just over a minute left, when he twisted his body mid-air and threw down a savage jam while he was fouled, converting what was a crucial three-point play to give the Kings an 89-93 lead.

“We’ve literally thrown him in the deep end and let him sort himself out,” Coach Forde said of his young big man.

“The great thing is that Jordi served an apprenticeship under ‘Bogues’ last year, and now he’s averaging 20 minutes a game. It’s his sophomore year so he’s going to have some stretches where it’s not great and stretches where it is.”

“The fact is we can rely on him to close out games, especially at the defensive end – he anchors that.”

“I’d love to see what Jordi looks like in four or five-years’ time, because he’s going to be an absolute animal.”

Then there was Shaun Bruce (10 points), whose seven points in the second quarter were key in keeping the Kings in touch. Brad Newley (13 points, six rebounds) shook off a disappointing last game with a determined effort that even featured a monster put-back dunk at the end of the first half. And Craig Moller (eight points, four assists) quietly was a huge factor in the win with his exceptional facilitation from the low post.

In all, nine Sydney players hit the scoresheet, something that pleased Coach Forde immensely.

“That was a focus with the guys,” he said.

“There was a real focus of getting 20 post touches and I think we had 26 or 27 in the end.”

“The decision that was made to come in with this type of game plan was by committee, and it worked great.”

Sydney’s win – their fifth straight against the Phoenix – also represented another step forward for the group. It was their first win in a close game this season and their first victory against a team that was sitting in the top four on the NBL ladder.

And with wins in two of the four quarters plus the game W, the Kings picked up five points to jump to third place on the NBL Cup ladder, while improving to a 6-7 record overall in NBL21.

The next assignment for Sydney in the NBL Cup is next Thursday night in a blockbuster matchup against arch-rivals the Illawarra Hawks at John Cain Arena. Tipoff is at 8:00pm and the game will be broadcast on ESPN, SBS On Demand and NBL.TV.

Rise With Us Sydney.

BRYDENS LAWYERS SYDNEY KINGS 91 (Vasiljevic 19, Hunter 15, Newley 13)
SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 85 (Creek 22, Wetzell 16, Mauriohooho-Le Afa 15) at John Cain Arena, Melbourne.

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