The Sydney Kings sent a stark warning to their NBL championship rivals on Wednesday night, dominating the South East Melbourne Phoenix 103-92 on the road to sweep the season series. Star import Jaylen Adams battled through a concerning back injury to put the Kings on his shoulders down the stretch and lead them to their third straight victory.
Kings’ Firepower Overwhelms Phoenix
From the opening tip, the Kings’ offensive arsenal was on full display. Sharp-shooter Kouat Noi caught fire early, pouring in 18 of his team-high 24 points in the first half as Sydney raced out to a commanding 62-45 lead at the main break. The NBL22 MVP Adams and high-flying big man Cam Oliver joined the long-range barrage, knocking down a combined five triples and throwing down several emphatic dunks to ignite the Kings.
By the third quarter, legendary coach Brian Goorjian’s squad had blown the margin out to as much as 23 points and looked to be cruising. But the Phoenix, led by a 28-point outburst from Nathan Sobey, refused to go down quietly on their home floor.
Adams Injury Scare Can’t Slow Kings
The Phoenix sliced the deficit to just seven points with three minutes remaining, but that’s when Adams took over. Despite receiving treatment on his troublesome lower back and being forced to the bench in the third period, the gutsy floor general returned to make a series of clutch plays to hold off South East Melbourne’s furious rally.
He’s an absolute warrior. To be able to play through that pain and make those huge shots, those huge passes, it’s a testament to how bad he wants to win.
Kings coach Brian Goorjian on Jaylen Adams
With the hard-fought road win, the third-placed Kings improved to a 16-10 record and stayed in the hunt for a coveted top-two seed with just a pair of regular season games remaining. They’ll look to make it four victories on the trot when they host the Adelaide 36ers on Friday night, but all eyes will be on Adams’ health status moving forward.
Phoenix Feel the Hurt in Loss
For the fifth-placed Phoenix, it was a missed opportunity to solidify their spot in the playoffs. The loss saw them drop to 14-11 and in jeopardy of tumbling into the win-or-go-home play-in tournament. Coach Simon Mitchell will be particularly disappointed in the lackluster performance of star scorer Mitch Creek, who was held to just 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
To secure a top-four berth and home-court advantage in the opening round, South East Melbourne will need to regroup quickly for a massive showdown with cross-town rivals Melbourne United on Saturday. With both teams losing key players to injury in recent weeks, it promises to be a war of attrition with a spot in the semi-finals on the line.
NBL Playoff Picture Coming Into Focus
As the NBL regular season enters its final days, the championship contenders are beginning to separate themselves from the pretenders. The Kings have regained their early-season form and loom as the team to beat with a dynamic offense and the defensive prowess of Xavier Cooks. The Taipans continue to defy the odds, while the reigning champions Sydney are hitting their stride at just the right time.
- Current NBL Standings:
- 1. Cairns Taipans (17-7)
- 2. Sydney Kings (16-10)
- 3. Perth Wildcats (13-12)
- 4. New Zealand Breakers (12-11)
- 5. South East Melbourne Phoenix (14-11)
- 6. Illawarra Hawks (12-12)
The jockeying for playoff positioning will go down to the wire, with numerous head-to-head clashes between the contenders still to come. The Kings and Phoenix both need a rub of the trainer’s table to get their stars healthy, while the Hawks are the wild card nobody wants to face if they sneak into the playoffs. It promises to be a wild finish as the 2022-23 NBL season reaches its thrilling conclusion!
