Undermanned Kings get the job done over Phoenix

Written by Matt McQuade for Kings Media

Result: Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings 97 South East Melbourne Phoenix 90

Stats That Matter: Kings 55% FG; Kings 13 three pointers; Kings 18 assists; Kings 43 bench points

Kings MVP: Didi Louzada was spectacular offensively for the purple and gold.

Turning Point: The Kings closed the second quarter with a 14-2 run and never looked back.

The game was over when: Craig Moller made it a 21-point ballgame midway through the fourth quarter.

Trending in the right direction: Daniel Kickert rediscovered his mojo and was terrific off the bench.

A sensational eight-minute period has propelled an undermanned Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings to a brilliant 97-90 victory over the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Thursday night at Qudos Bank Arena.

Sydney trailed 43-36 at the 4:41 mark of the second quarter before Daniel Kickert caught fire from the perimeter, draining three triples as part of a remarkable individual spurt of 11 straight points that kickstarted a game-changing 28-6 run, turning a seven-point deficit into a 15-point lead with 6:46 remaining in the third quarter.

Sydney played with great energy and intensity at both ends of the court, fuelled by an enthusiastic Thursday night crowd, who watched on as their beloved Kings blew the Phoenix out in the third period to the tune of 28-12 to lead by 21 points with ten minutes remaining.

And although South East Melbourne saved a little face with a 33-19 final period, they were outplayed for much of the night and the Kings thoroughly deserved a victory that snaps a two-game losing streak and was a perfect bounce-back, after the purple and gold put forth a disappointing performance against the same team last Sunday.

What was even more impressive about the victory was the fact Jarell Martin was a late withdrawal due to knee soreness, leaving the Kings without two of their top three scorers for the game. And to boot, their leading scorer, Casper Ware, tallied just two points on the night, although he did contribute in other ways with six assists and four rebounds.

Indeed, contributions right across the roster were a feature of what was a gutsy performance under the circumstances.

Didi Louzada played one of his best games for the club, going 8 of 11 from the field for 28 points – 16 of those in an outstanding first half – and eight rebounds, showcasing the stellar talent that made him an NBA draft pick two years ago. Jordan Hunter was a colossus inside, blocking six shots – the second-most for the Kings in a 40-minute NBL game in franchise history – and changing several others. Craig Moller and Tom Vodanovich were active and aggressive at both ends during their time on the floor.

Then there were the veterans, Brad Newley and Daniel Kickert, who turned the clock back with a pair of dazzling performances.

Kickert’s 11 points in the third period were part of a 17-point night where he was perfect from downtown and held the fort defensively. And Newley was in attack mode right from the start, slicing up the Phoenix D with his trademark forays to the basket and earning high-fives from Chris Pongrass and Paul Smith after one of his relentless moves to the rack earned him the score and one.

Newley also finished with 17 points, adding six rebounds and three steals for a Kings unit that shot the ball at an impressive 55% from the field, nailed 13 three pointers at a 44% clip and went 18 of 24 from the free throw line.

Importantly, the team’s defence, particularly in the second half, was on point. Sydney held South East Melbourne to 43% from the field and 39% from three-point range, although the Phoenix got a lot of their buckets from the perimeter when the game was long over as a contest.

Brydens Lawyers Head Coach Adam Forde, who saw his team stay in touch with the Top Four as they move to 11-12 on the season, was a happy man afterwards, paying tribute to the fortitude his injury-decimated group showed on the night.

“We’ve had some pretty big wins, but this is definitely somewhere up there in terms of the guts (the guys showed).” Coach Forde said.

“Jarell’s out, and we got that next man mentality up, but sometimes you just keep getting kicked in the guts.”

“We wanted to back up our very average performance in the last round, and on top of that we still very much have Top Four ambitions.”

“It had to have been everybody collectively doing what needed to get done on the defensive side of things. And then we generated our points in transition. So that was definitely one of our gutsiest.”

“The difference was the talk, the communication and the dudes celebrating the little victories that happen throughout the game. There was constructive criticism and feedback and it was a complete flip from the last time we played them.”

Coach Forde also paid tribute to a crowd of 4,476 that made a lot of noise and just like the players contributed mightily to the team’s victory.

“It was a great vibe,” Adam said.

“We’ve got amazing fans. The fact that they roll out here on a Thursday and cheer as loudly as they do is great.”

“You can hear the things that they are saying; they get after the other team; they get after us if we’re not playing well. I love it, it’s great.”

Brad Newley added his thanks to the best fanbase in the National Basketball League.

“It’s something that in my time here in Sydney has gotten better and better over the years,” Newley said.

“To their credit, in a Covid year the fact we’re still drawing close to 5,000 I think is fantastic.”

“We’re starting to get a reputation as a good night out here at the Sydney Kings and I hope that continues. It would be great to get to a point where our fans start to influence the game and get very vocal. Tonight, they did a great job with that.”

Sydney concludes Round 14 with a game against the Cairns Taipans on Saturday 17 April at Qudos Bank Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 8:00pm AEST. Tickets are on sale NOW via Ticketek.

Rise With Us Sydney.

SYDNEY KINGS 97 (Louzada 28, Newley 17, Kickert 17)
SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 90 (Le’Afa 29, Moore 19, Creek 17) at Qudos Bank Arena.

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