Kings run rampant to ruin Bullets' home opener

The Sydney Kings kept their perfect road record intact on Saturday, easily accounting for the Brisbane Bullets 91-82 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.  

Match summary 

Keli Leaupepe opened the scoring for Sydney, finishing an offensive rebound into a fadeaway over Tyrrell Harrison. Xavier Cooks then stamped his authority on the game, rattling off five straight, before assisting on Alex Toohey’s triple and then scoring another two – as Sydney moved ahead 12-4 midway through the term. The hosts then re-grouped and went on an 11-0 run to tie the game up 15-all with 2.32 to play in the term. Down the stretch, the Kings pushed back in front, thanks to Cooks (who hit all five of his shots) and debutant Tyler Robertson, as Sydney led 22-17. 

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That momentum carried on in the second behind the strong play of Cam Oliver and Bul Kuol, as the Kings scored the first nine points of the period. Jaylen Adams added to the pain of the hosts, as the Kings’ run extended to 18-0 from the first term. This proved to be a precursor for the period, as the Kings outscored their opponents 25-10 through the 10 minutes of play – sparked by NBL23 MVP Cooks, who hit 6/7 from the field for 18 first-half points. The other hallmark of the first half for the Hoops Capital side was their defence, restricting the Bullets to the lowest-ever half-time score against Sydney (eclipsing the previous mark of 29 in round four of the 2016-17 season). 

X WAS COOKIN' IN THE FIRST HALF 🔥

18 points (6/7 FG including one triple and 5/5 FT), four assists, three boards and three steals for the #NBL23 MVP!

Watch the rest of our game with the Bullets live on ESPN via Kayo Sports! #TakeTheThrone pic.twitter.com/nZclyLyF9S

— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) October 5, 2024

Leaupepe led the way early for the Kings, supported by Kuol and Oliver, as the harbour city side’s lead grew to 23 points.  Sydney continued to push the pace, with Kouat Noi, Robertson and Jaylin Galloway the beneficiaries – with the purple and gold scoring at ease. The high-scoring quarter ended 28-all, seeing Sydney carry a 20-point lead into the final term. 

The onslaught continued in the fourth thanks to multiple scores from Toohey and Leaupepe, as Sydney scored 10 of the first 11 points of the term. The latter had a huge final term, scoring nine points, helping the Lings’ lead grow further. Brisbane rallied late (scoring 16 straight), to win the period 27-16, and reduce Sydney’s winning margin to nine. 

Where the match was decided 

Brian Goorjian’s side secured their third win of NBL25 thanks to dominant performances in field goal percentage (46-35), three-point percentage (31-13), assists (22-16), points off turnovers (22-15) and fast-break points (19-13). 

Key moment  

A 25-10 second quarter by the Kings blew the match wide open, with the Kings pushing on to victory from there. 

Watch Xavier Cooks and Brian Goorjian's post-game press conference via the 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

Player of the game 

Cooks dominated for the purple and gold, to the tune of 23 points (8/9 from the field including two triples) seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block. 

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Another standout was Leaupepe, who had his best game as a King, producing 23 points, three rebounds and two triples. 

The only other to reach double figures in the convincing triumph was Toohey (11).

What’s next 

Goorjian’s team, who are now 3-1, next head to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre for a round four clash with the 36ers on Friday, October 11. 

The Hoops Capital club’s next home game is on Sunday, October 13 at 2.15pm AEDT. 

Tickets to the round four Qudos Bank Arena clash are still available here.