Snakes snap Kings' road win record in overtime

The Sydney Kings’ NBL record road win streak is over at 17 games, after losing to the Cairns Taipans 94-88 on Monday. 

The overtime triumph at the Cairns Convention Centre sees the Snakes claim the season series 2-1 over Chase Buford’s side - which is just the second time that's happened in the past 22 seasons.

Match summary 

On his return from injury, Kings forward Xavier Cooks registered the first six points for Sydney, who raced out of the blocks in the round eight match to lead 11-6. On the back of some Derrick Walton Jr magic, that lead stretched to as many as seven before Tahjere McCall and Sam Waardenburg (who hit a three-pointer as the end of the period sounded) sparked the Snakes and brought the game back to 24-23 at quarter-time. 

Turnovers were the tale of the tape early in the second quarter for the Kings, allowing the hosts to take the lead, following 11 straight points from Keanu Pinder. If not for the attacking mindset of Cooks – who had a career-best 19 points and six boards by half-time – the Hoops Capital would have not been level (44-all) at the main break. 

In the third, scoring was hard to come by, with neither side hitting a field goal until Dejan Vasiljevic hit a jumper 2.10 into the term. That started a 7-1 run for the visitors, capped by a Kout Noi (who was playing in his first game back in Cairns since joining Sydney) lay-up. A barrage of triples by Walton and Angus Glover saw the Kings move out by as many as 11 before the Snakes closed to within 10 (65-55) at the final change. 

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The harbour city side continued their ascension in the fourth, scoring five of the term’s first eight points. But the Snakes didn’t go away, going on a 10-5 streak of their own. That, combined with sloppy turnovers and Cooks fouling out, allowed Adam Forde’s side to make it a two-possession game in the final minutes. Two clutch triples by DJ Hogg in the final minute saw the Snakes draw level (78-all) with 7.8 seconds on the clock before Walton missed a shot at the buzzer – sending the fixture to overtime. 

In the extra period, it proved to be a grind for both teams early on before big shots (either side of Jordi Hunter's poster dunk) by Bul Kuol and Pinder (who finished with a career-high 30 points) sealed the Snakes’ impressive win and just their second in Cairns in NBL23. 

Where the match was decided 

The Achilles heel for the Kings on Monday was their turnovers, producing 21 compared to just 10 from the hosts – seeing them turn that into a 13-6 advantage in points off turnovers. 

Apart from those, the Kings won the majority of the other key statistical categories including field goal percentage (44-36), field goal percentage (76-72), rebounds (57-46), assists (17-11), points in the paint (50-42) and bench points (27-23). 

Key moment 

A third-quarter run, in which the Kings outscored their rivals 13-3 in the final 4.08, appeared to have laid the platform for Sydney. 

But Cairns, following Cooks following out, went on a 24-10 run in the final 7.33 minutes (including the fourth quarter and overtime) to secure the six-point victory. 

Player of the game 

Cooks didn’t miss a beat in his return from a three-week stint on the sidelines, pacing the Kings with 25 points (equalling a career-high), 10 rebounds, one assist and one steal – despite fouling out with just over three to play in the fourth. 

The Australian Boomer was well-supported by Glover (16 points, eight rebounds and two steals) and Walton (15 points, five boards and five dimes) in the defeat.

What’s next 

Buford’s side, who drop to second spot on the ladder with an 8-3 record, will return to Qudos Bank Arena for a round nine clash with the sixth-placed Adelaide 36ers on Sunday from 2pm AEDT. 

The fixture will the first of four Hoops Capital double-headers this season, with the Sydney Flames to tackle the Bendigo Spirit following the Kings game – which will be part of the WNBL’s Fighting Period Poverty Round. 

Tickets for the double-header are available here.