The surging Sydney Kings have ended Illawarra’s reign as champions, and at the same time took another giant stride towards succeeding the Hawks on the NBL throne.
Notching a ninth consecutive victory, and fourth straight over their arch rivals, the Kings never trailed in a 120-94 rout of the Hawks at WIN Entertainment Centre on Friday night.
The win took the white-hot Kings to the top of the table with a 22-9 record, and further victories against Perth at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday and the last-placed Bullets in Brisbane next Friday would ensure Sydney hold the No.1 seed heading into the finals.
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Languishing in eighth place, Illawarra (11-20) slumped to a fourth loss from their past five games and are too far behind sixth-placed Tasmania (14-17) to make the play-offs and defend the crown they won last season.
Kings point guard Kendric Davis only enhanced his NBL Most Valuable Player credentials, piling up 24 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three steals despite picking up his fourth foul late in the third quarter and sitting out the fourth.
Davis was well supported by Tyler Roberston (17 points, seven rebounds), Tim Soares (16 points, seven rebounds), Kouat Noi (14 points), Xavier Cooks and Makuach Maluach (11 points each) and Jaylin Galloway (10) as the Kings shared the scoring load.
Three-time former NBA champion JaVale McGee was ruled out 30 minutes before tip-off to recover from sore knees, but is expected to suit up for Illawarra’s final two games on the road against Melbourne United on Sunday and Tasmania next Wednesday.
ANYTHING YOU CAN DO…
After being swept 4-0 by the championship-winning Hawks last season, the Kings repaid the favour in full with their one-sided win at WIN Entertainment Centre on Friday night.
Sydney had comfortably won the previous three meetings this season – 122-104 on January 29, 108-84 on Christmas night and 98-71 on November 16 – to take back the Adrian Hurley Cup, then completed the clean sweep on Illawarra’s home court.
SYDNEY’S HOT START
The Kings came out firing, knocking down their first six shots to jump to a 15-5 lead, forcing Hawks coach Justin Tatum to call time out inside the first three minutes.
Sydney’s speed up and down the floor and stifling defence were too much for the Hawks to handle and the Kings took a 34-19 lead into quarter-time.
The second term looked a lot like the first as the Kings, led by Davis, Soares and Cooks, had their way inside and out to extend their lead to as many as 18 points.
The Hawks played without energy and seemingly no answers until big man Mason Peatling and guards Will Hickey and Johny Narkle sparked a late 14-4 run to cut the deficit to 51-43, but Sydney steadied and led 58-46 at half-time.
Illawarra began the third quarter on a 10-3 run to pull within 61-56, and got as close as 68-64 with less than four minutes remaining, but the Kings finished the period on a 16-5 run.
Leading 84-69, Sydney scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to build a 93-69 advantage and break the game open.
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MULLET MAN’S MILESTONE
Livewire guard Dan Grida, one of the most popular players on the Illawarra roster, celebrated his 150th NBL appearance for the Hawks.
Usually a sparkplug off the bench, Grida was elevated to the starting line-up for his milestone match and hit a three-pointer late in the first quarter.
There were more than a few mullet wigs on the heads of Hawks fans in the crowd to pay tribute to the 27-year-old Perth product, who has become one of Illawarra’s favourite adopted sons since joining the club in 2018.
Grida hit another triple early in the third quarter and followed with a dunk to help the Hawks rally after their rough first half, finishing his 150th game with eight points.
“This year has probably been one of his most productive years,” former NBL journeyman guard Jason Cadee said in the pre-game coverage on Fox Sports.
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