Wildcats snaps Kings' six-game win streak

The Sydney Kings’ six-game win streak is over, after losing a high-scoring Heritage Round affair 111-104 to the Perth Wildcats at RAC Arena on Friday. 

That total of 111 represents the second-highest amount of points the Kings, who have the third-best defensive rating in the league, have conceded in NBL23. 

Match summary 

The hosts started on fire, racing out to an 8-2 lead after just over two minutes, which stretched to 19-10 despite Dejan Vasiljevic becoming the 34th King to join the 1000-point milestone in the NBL. An 8-0 run, sparked by 50-game milestone man Angus Glover, closed the margin to one with two over two to play in the opening term. But a 7-2 run, capped by a Corey Webster triple as time expired, helped the Cats lead 26-20 after one. 

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Two straight triples early on by Jesse Wagstaff pushed the host’s lead out to seven but the Kings didn’t go away and stayed in striking distance due to Justin Simon’s play on both ends of the floor. The three-point barrage (9/19 in the first half) by John Rillie’s side continued in as the second progressed, with Brady Manek and Core Webster adding shots from downtown. Thanks to some magic by Derrick Walton Jr, the Hoops Capital side closed to margin, which blew out to as many as 10, to just six (54-48) at the main break. 

Eight straight points in just fifty-eight seconds by the Sharp-Shooter himself ?

Catch it LIVE on @ESPNAusNZ via @kayosports + @Foxtel #WeTheKings pic.twitter.com/gAL5LA2XmU

— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) January 20, 2023

That deficit for the Kings quickly grew to 11 as the hosts opened the term on a 5-0 run. Vasiljevic had seen enough at that point, rattling eight straight points by himself, in the space of 58 seconds, to make it 59-56. A 9-2 run, powered by US import Walton Jr, gave the Kings their first lead (68-66) of the round 16 fixture. The two rivals continued to trade baskets at a high rate in the third, with scores by Angus Glover and Xavier Cooks giving the harbour city side the 80-76 lead heading into the last. 

That momentum was halted in short order by Perth, who opened the fourth on a 14-3 on the back of Bryce Cotton and Luke Travers. Despite an early 5-0 foul count, the Kings kept chipping away at the lead thanks to Vasiljevic and Cooks – bringing it back to 95-92 midway through the fourth. It remained a one-possession game going into the final minute, but the Wildcats held their nerve to prevail 111-104. 

Where the match was decided 

The biggest discrepancy on the stat sheet between the sides was the three-point shooting, with Perth landing 17/38 (45 per cent) compared to the Kings’ 10/26 (38 per cent). The Wildcats also won the categories of rebounds (47-41), assists (30-23), blocks (5-3) and fastbreak points (9-6). 

Key moment 

Although Sydney carried momentum and a four-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, a 17-3 run by the Cats to open the period (which they won 35-24) powered Perth back into the contest – which they used to secure the seven-point win. 

Player of the game 

Sharpshooter Vasiljevic was one of the Kings main shining lights on Friday night, scoring a team-high 26 points (including six triples), four rebounds and one assist. 

He and the other four Sydney starters (Cooks – 15, Simon – 13, Walton Jr – 12 and Tim Soares - 11) all scored in double figures, as did bench sparkplug Glover (14). 

What’s next 

The first-placed harbour city side, who are now 17-6, return home this Sunday to face the New Zealand Breakers for their NBL23 Heritage Round match, where they’ll wear uniforms honouring Kings’ sides from the early 1990s. 

The round 16 fixture will also see Brad Rosen inducted into the Sydney Kings Ring of Honour. 

Tickets to the fixture, tipping off at 4pm Sunday, January 22, are still available here.