Phoenix too good for Kings

Written by Matt McQuade for Kings Media 

Result: South East Melbourne Phoenix 98 Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings 84

Stats That Matter: Phoenix 51.4% FG; Phoenix 16 points from turnovers; Rebound count Kings 42 Phoenix 34; Phoenix 48 points in the paint

Kings MVP: Jarell Martin provided a consistent offensive punch for the purple and gold.

Turning Point: A 10-2 run late in the third quarter gave the Phoenix a buffer they were able to maintain.

The game was over when: Cameron Gliddon splashed a three pointer with one minute remaining.

Trending in the right direction: Sydney continued their improved work on the boards, grabbing 16 offensive rebounds.

On an afternoon where the team bade farewell to long-time team manager Laurie Watterson, the Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings were unable to send the legendary ‘Icon’ off in style, going down 98-84 to the South East Melbourne Phoenix at Qudos Bank Arena.

Sydney led for the majority of the opening ten minutes before South East Melbourne took command in the second period and responded to every challenge issued by the purple and gold in the second half, sending the Kings to their second straight loss and a sixth place 10-12 record.

Jarell Martin had 23 points and seven rebounds to lead Sydney, Casper Ware added 20 points and Jordan Hunter contributed 11 points and nine rebounds, but the Kings allowed the Phoenix to shoot the ball at 51% from the field and had no answers to Mitchell Creek (26 points, five rebounds) or Ben Moore (20 points, six rebounds, two steals).

Brydens Lawyers Head Coach Adam Forde was a frustrated man in the post-game press conference.

“Disappointing,” he said.

“As I was just saying to the boys afterwards, we were all just flat, and I’m guilty of that too.”

“I don’t know if this is the correct word, but if we’re being honest and completely transparent, we looked bored, and that was disappointing.”

“It was probably one of the most disappointing games of the season.”

Coach Forde also paid tribute to the retiring Laurie Watterson, and bemoaned his team’s inability to get a win for ‘Lozza’, who was honoured by the club with a special presentation and video at the halftime break.

“This was Loz’s farewell game,” Adam said.

“He’s been part of the club since the eighties and he’s been with the Sydney Kings through the good times and the bad times, winning the championships with ‘Goorj’ and Matt Nielsen and then when Sydney weren’t in the league.”

“We couldn’t thank Loz enough for the service he’s done, but I was disappointed that this was what we gave him. I would have preferred a hard-fought loss rather than that.”

Things did look promising early however, with Sydney’s defence holding the Phoenix to just 1 of 7 shooting from the field to start with before Cameron Gliddon (12 points, four rebounds) got hot with a pair of threes.

Ware answered with two long range bombs and the Kings jumped out to a 16-10 lead midway through the first quarter.

Creek had eight points off the bench to key an 11-3 run that pulled the visitors ahead briefly, but Shaun Bruce (11 points, four assists, three steals), who started in place of the injured Dejan Vasiljevic, had seven straight points to give the purple and gold a 25-21 lead after one.

Jordan Hunter (11 points, nine rebounds) lit up Qudos Bank Arena to start the second quarter with a hook shot followed by a savage alley-oop jam courtesy of an on-the-money dime from Didi Louzada, before the Phoenix responded with a 5-0 run to take a 30-29 lead, forcing Coach Forde to call for time.

Martin was whistled for his third foul at the 4:40 mark and had to sit for the rest of the quarter, Creek continued to pour it on with another 10 points and the Phoenix got an unlikely offensive contribution from development player Izayah Le’Afa, whose seven points in the period helped South East Melbourne push the margin out to as much as nine points.

But as he has done so often this season, Tom Vodanovich (six points) gave the Kings a spark off the bench, hitting a corner triple with nine seconds left to send the home team to the main break down just five, 51-46.

Unfortunately, Sydney gave up a pair of baskets to start the third quarter and a clearly unimpressed Coach Forde called for time immediately, but the Kings came out more aggressive out of the early break and a dunk from Martin followed by another triple from Bruce reduced the margin back to five with just over three minutes gone.

Led by Martin and Brad Newley (five points, eight rebounds) off the bench, Sydney upped their energy levels and pushed the visitors hard, cutting the margin to just one on a Newley dribble drive with 4:35 remaining.

However, Sydney had no answers to Moore who keyed a late 10-2 run to give South East Melbourne a 72-65 lead with a quarter to play.

Ware and Martin tried to inspire their team early in the fourth, but the Phoenix kept the Kings at bay, and a three from Gliddon made it 77-70 at the 6:31 mark – a deficit that looked dangerous for the home team when Martin picked up his fourth foul.

Coach Forde rolled the dice and kept his star big man out on the floor, but Phoenix centre Yanni Wetzel (11 points, three rebounds, three assists) supercharged his group with three enormous plays, first rejecting Hunter at the rim then getting a power jam for the three-point play followed by a hook shot inside that extended the margin to 10 points with four minutes remaining.

Ware responded with five straight points to give Sydney fans some hope, but Moore powered inside for another three-point play, and when Kyle Adnam (10 points, six assists) nailed a three pointer from the wing in transition, South East Melbourne led 91-80 with just over two minutes left and things looked grim for the purple and gold.

Four straight points from the Kings kept things interesting for a brief time, but Creek had a pair of free throws and when Gliddon buried a monster three at the shot clock buzzer with a minute remaining, the Phoenix were safe, and ultimately cruised to a win that keeps them in third place on the NBL ladder with a 13-9 record.

Round 14 completes the Kings’ unprecedented five-game homestand. On Thursday April 15 the team resumes hostilities with the Phoenix at Qudos Bank Arena with tipoff scheduled for 7:30pm AEST and on Saturday 17 April, Sydney will do battle with the Cairns Taipans at Qudos Bank Arena with tipoff scheduled for 8:00pm AEST. Tickets for both games are on sale NOW via Ticketek.

Rise With Us Sydney.

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 98 (Creek 26, Moore 20, Gliddon 12)
SYDNEY KINGS 84 (Martin 23, Ware 20, Hunter 11, Bruce 11) at Qudos Bank Arena.

BOXSCORE