‘Easily best in the league’: Kings’ streak hits six as rival coach issues stern NBL warning

The Sydney Kings’ surge has continued with a sixth straight win, as rival coach Darryl McDonald warns the team has “all the pieces” to win the NBL championship.

The Kings claimed a commanding 95-70 win over the Brisbane Bullets on Tuesday night to jump into third place behind only Melbourne United and the Adelaide 36ers.

“Right now, they are easily playing the best basketball in the league,” Bullets interim head coach Darryl McDonald said.

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“Their pressure sped us up, turned us over and we struggled with it.”

It has been a rapid rise for the Kings, who have now won 10 of their past 12 games to go with their current six-game winning streak. That stretch has included impressive victories over the Perth Wildcats, Melbourne United, and the Adelaide 36ers, further underlining their emergence as a genuine contender.

Xavier Cooks led the way against the Bullets with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Kendric Davis added 14 points and seven assists. Import Tim Soares also played a key role, finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds.

Kings head coach Brian Goorjian was encouraged by both the result and the broader trajectory of the group.

“I like what’s going on, I like where we’re headed,” Goorjian said.

“I think the guys understand how we can be good.”

“It’s a mindset that we started when I came to the Kings this time and began putting some pieces together,” he added.

For Goorjian, the focus has been on building something sustainable. While last season did not deliver the desired results, the foundations laid during that period are now beginning to show tangible returns.

“It was built around that [defensive] concept, and this year we’ve gradually added to it and built on it,” Goorjian said.

“It’s taken a while, but the guys are starting to see the success of it with how they’re playing.”

Those defensive principles have been on full display throughout the Kings’ six-game winning streak. During that span, they boast the league’s best defensive rating, holding opponents to just 81.5 points per game – the second-best mark in the NBL.

They have also limited opposition to a league-low 39.5 per cent shooting from the field and 27.8 per cent from three-point range, while conceding just 0.99 points per possession, the best figure in the competition over that stretch.

Soares echoed his coach’s sentiments post-game, pointing to a shift in mentality as a key factor in the Kings’ rise.

“We were treading water instead of really diving in earlier in the season,” Soares said.

“When our mentality is being the aggressor on defence, it completely changes the game.”

Soares knows what it takes to win in the NBL, having been part of the Kings’ championship team in NBL23.

“Obviously, we’re not going to win every single game, but if we want to have a chance at this, we need to play at this kind of level,” he said.

“We’re starting to understand that now.”

“It starts at practice, and he [Brian Goorjian] has done a great job of making sure that we’re at a high level, which then translates to the game where we’re bringing that same intensity.”

Goorjian reinforced that sentiment, highlighting the ownership now being shown by the playing group.

“While I introduced this, I’m not driving it anymore,” he said.

“With all the players communicating and holding each other accountable, the pressure and intent they’re playing with is contagious.”

“They’re feeding off one another,” Goorjian added.

“And I think we’re only scratching the surface of how good we can be on that end. There’s more to come.”

The Kings now face another significant test as they travel to Adelaide to take on the 36ers. The two sides have met twice this season, with Sydney winning both encounters.

The first was a defensive masterclass, with the Kings holding Adelaide to just 79 points, highlighted by Bul Kuol’s outstanding defensive effort on Bryce Cotton, who was limited to just seven points. Their most recent matchup went to overtime after a dominant third quarter from Sydney, where they outscored the 36ers 23-9 to seize momentum late.

In that contest, Cooks finished with 27 points, eight rebounds and two assists, while Davis delivered a standout performance with 27 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

With confidence building and form peaking, the Kings will look to make it seven wins in a row and continue closing the gap on Melbourne United in the race for second place on the ladder.