Kings suffer defeat to Wildcats at Qudos Bank Arena

The Sydney Kings have fallen to fifth spot on the ladder after losing 104-97 to the Perth Wildcats during Sunday’s Pride Round fixture at Qudos Bank Arena. 

The fixture attracted 14,112 fans, marking the second-biggest crowd of the season for both the Kings and NBL. 

Match summary 

Perth scored the match’s first five points through Ben Henshall and Dylan Windler before Alex Toohey got the Kings on the board. Buckets by Cam Oliver, Toohey and Bul Kuol kept the scoreboard ticking over for the hosts but Perth grabbed the ascendancy, leading by as many as 10 when Kristian Doolittle converted an and-one. That margin was reduced to single digits by Oliver, including an emphatic alley-oop from Makuach Maluach. A late triple by Shaun Bruce ensured the Hoops Capital side only trailed by 11 (32-21) at the first change. 

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 A pair of Toohey triples, on the first two plays of the second, closed it to seven. Free-throws by Bul Kuol and Xavier Cooks ensured but so seven points by Bryce Cotton, seeing the score blow back out to 43-31. Despite scores from Henshall, efforts by Cooks, Kouat Noi and Adams from the charity stripe kept the harbour city side within striking distance. A Bruce fast-break bucket, followed by a Noi and-one and four quick points by Toohey closed the margin to 56-48 at the main break. 

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Keanu Pinder and Oliver traded buckets to open the third but another Windler triple, following of yet another offensive rebound (which saw Perth have more offensive rebounds than Kings defensive rebounds at this point in the game), moved the Cats’ lead back out to double figures. The injection of Noi paid dividends for Sydney, with the NSW junior scoring 10 straight for the Kings. Some suspect calls by the officials forced Adams to sit with four fouls late in the third. A three-point play by Oliver in the final minute with cancelled out by Cotton, as the visitors led 85-74 heading into the fourth. 

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An and-one by Oliver got Sydney started in the fourth but the referee’s whistles continued, with the hosts receiving three in the first 2.07 of the period – including one of Adams, which saw him fouled out. All three imports for Perth were relentless with their scoring, until Doolittle suffered the same fate as Adams and was fouled out. In the end, the Wildcats ran out seven-point winners. 

Where the match was decided 

Perth won the match on the back of superior statistics in rebounds (47-37 including 24 offensive rebounds), steals (11-5), turnovers (15-7), second-chance points (23-10) and points off turnovers (23-14) - while attempting 24 more shots (85-61). 

Key moment 

A slow start once again hurt the Kings, who fell behind 32-21 at the end of the first period. 

Players of the game 

Noi (24), Toohey (23) and Oliver (22 points and 10 rebounds) all scored more than 20 points for the Kings in the loss. 

What’s next 

Goorjian’s team, who are now 16-12, head to Wollongong for their final regular season game of the season on Friday, February 7 against the Illawarra Hawks – tipping off at 7.30pm AEDT on ESPN. 

The Hoops Capital side’s post-season schedule will be locked in following the final round, so keep tabs on the club’s website for all the up-to-date news.