Undermanned Kings fall to United

Written by Matt McQuade for Kings Media

Result: Melbourne United 103 Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings 78

Stats That Matter: United 49% FG; United 23/26 FT (88%); United 46 points in the paint; United 23 second chance points

Kings MVP: Craig Moller’s work on the glass was a standout on the night.

Turning Point: A 11-0 Melbourne run midway through the third period changed the complexion of the game.

The game was over when: Jo Lual-Acuil scored to make it a 17-point United lead with three minutes remaining.

Trending in the right direction: Daniel Kickert was efficient off the bench.

The Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings were dealt a reality check on Sunday afternoon by the league leading Melbourne United at John Cain Arena in Melbourne, going down 103-78 to the NBL championship favourites.

Despite being without Brad Newley for the game due to injury, an undermanned Kings line-up trailed by just five points at the start of the fourth quarter, but were blown off the floor by United in the final ten minutes and outscored 33-13, including a closing 17-2 Melbourne run.

Five United players scored in double figures in their win, led by Jo Lual-Acuil, who finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots to garner game MVP honours. Chris Goulding had 21 points including four three pointers, import Scotty Hopson showcased Melbourne’s enormous depth with 18 points off the bench and development player Mason Peatling contributed 12 points and seven rebounds.

United also hurt the Kings on the boards, with 13 offensive rebounds and 23 second chance points, and they feasted on Sydney mistakes, with 14 turnovers leading to 22 Melbourne points.

Casper Ware led Sydney with 25 points and three assists, Daniel Kickert had 13 points off the pine, Craig Moller produced a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds and Shaun Bruce produced 10 points and five assists for a Kings’ unit that saw its four-game winning streak snapped.

It was a tough night all around for the purple and gold, and Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings Head Coach Adam Forde couldn’t hide his disappointment in the post-game press conference.

“It was embarrassing,” Coach Forde said.

“They went on a 17-0 run to finish out the game, and that’s how we played.”

“We needed that. It’s 100% slippage. It’s slippage in our training, it’s slippage in the coaching staff, it’s slippage in our extended staff, it’s slippage in the playing group, and that’s the result.”

“We were bigger across the board, and we got outrebounded – another reason why that was embarrassing.”

After a terrific first quarter where the Kings moved the ball crisply and played solid defence to take a 31-20 lead, Sydney had problems defending Melbourne’s smaller line-up to start the second period and allowed United to begin with a 16-4 run that got the home team back in the contest.

Melbourne would go on to outscore the Kings 32-15 in the quarter, including a late 14-2 burst, and led 52-46 at the half, with Goulding’s 16 points offsetting Ware’s 15.

At that point, United looked to have all the momentum, but Ware came out on a mission to start the third quarter, hitting seven points in a blistering 15-2 Kings’ run that forced Melbourne coach Dean Vickerman to blow two time-outs in the opening two minutes.

Vickerman’s sideline blast in the second time-out had the desired effect, and United responded with an 11-0 spurt that put them back in control, with the final five points of the period giving them the advantage as they turned for home.

Unfortunately, from there it was one way traffic, and the Kings dropped to 14-13 on the season, although they remain in third place on the National Basketball League ladder thanks to a better for and against percentage than South East Melbourne Phoenix, who have an identical 14-13 record.

Still, despite the nature of the defeat, Coach Forde remained positive about his team’s ability to bounce back with a huge game coming up at home in Round 17.

“I’m very confident,” he said.

“We know what is needed to get done, not just during the game but in the lead-up to it.”

“We’re by no means pulling the pin on this, and we’re very confident in the group.”

“The moment we start to fall in love with the narrative, this is the result we get. It realigns us, and puts us back on the path that we need if we want to be a genuine top four contender.”

Sydney returns home in Round 17 with a game against the Adelaide 36ers on Sunday, May 9 at Qudos Bank Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 3:00pm.

Rise With Us Sydney.

MELBOURNE UNITED 103 (Goulding 21, Lual-Acuil 20, Hopson 18)
BRYDENS LAWYERS SYDNEY KINGS 78 (Ware 25, Kickert 13, Moller 12) at John Cain Arena, Melbourne.

BOXSCORE