Creek's Phoenix Overcome Walton's Kings in 2OT

It always loomed as a classic match up and it surpassed all expectations with the first two 40-point games of NBL23 and it took two overtime periods for Mitch Creek's South East Melbourne Phoenix to beat Derrick Walton Jr's Sydney Kings 113-112.

The game defied description by the end of it with Creek delivering 46 points for the Phoenix, Walton 45 for the Kings and that was less than 24 hours after Cairns' Keanu Pinder set a new season high of 34.

It was the first meeting of the top four teams this season at Gippsland Indoor Sports Stadium on Sunday, and it didn’t disappoint.

While the Phoenix losing Gary Browne (calf) and Ryan Broekhoff (hip), and Sydney Xavier Cooks (ankle), it didn’t detract from the contest and nor did key players fouling out as the 50-minute contest unfolded.

It was Creek and Walton trading bombs at the end of the first overtime period that sent it into a second lot of five minutes after quite the seesawing affair. 

In the end, the help Creek got down the stretch from Zhou Qi and Reuben Te Rangi with a crucial cameo from Owen Foxwell saw them claim quite the incredible one-point win over the reigning champs.

It was a remarkable individual performance from Creek in his 306th NBL appearance. He ended up with 46 points and 10 rebounds on 15/27 shooting including 4/11 from three and 12/13 at the line.

Trey Kell III added 21 points and seven rebounds, Alan Williams 10 points and nine boards, Foxwell eight points and four rebounds, and Adnam eight points and six assists.

Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell loved the atmosphere provided from the 3000 crowd in Gippsland, and the strength of character more than anything of his group.

"The environment from the people of Gippsland created the contest which was special," Mitchell said. 

"We were saw a couple of special performances with Walton Jr and Creek, and then it was just a coin flip at the end. I thought we endured some real tests and I thought that the strength of character, which maybe waned a little bit on Thursday, was a real focus to be business like. 

"When those hurdles came at us and there was a lot of them out there, I thought that the strength of character shone thought. That builds a platform to know that we can operate under extreme duress and come out with our chins held up high."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is incredible ?<br><br>We’re heading to DOUBLE OT!<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> live and free on 10 Peach and 10play | live on Fox Sports 506 via Kayo Sports + Foxtel <a href="https://t.co/vEiWosqCaG">pic.twitter.com/vEiWosqCaG</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1604348183861006339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Walton was phenomenal for the Kings. He finished with 45 points and 10 assists on 14/27 shooting from the floor, 5/10 from deep and 12/13 from the foul line.

With Cooks only playing eight points and being scoreless, the Kings needed others to step up and Kouat Noi had 12 points and seven rebounds, Tim Soares 12 points, DJ Vasiljevic 10 points and five boards, Angus Glover nine points, and Jaylin Galloway eight points and five rebounds.

Kings coach Chase Buford was frustrated that his team missed another golden opportunity to secure a victory.

"It's another one where we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory," Buford said.

"We had the game won multiple times it felt like and we just kept finding new ways to get them back in it. 

"It's one where we'll be disappointed with ourselves because if we close the game out better, don’t foul and make free-throws, we win in regulation and don't have to go through all the chaoticness of fouls and drama of that game. 

"It's disappointing again and we have to finish better obviously. Losing X hurt, he's probably the best Creek match up in the league and has done a great job on him since I've been here. Obviously we missed that quite a bit."

Trey Kell III opened up proceedings in Traralgon with a three for the Phoenix and then he and Mitch Creek combined to give South East Melbourne the flying start for the 10-2 advantage.

Alan Williams soon stretched that to 13-4 with an and-one. South East Melbourne still led 25-18 by quarter-time on the back of shooting 56 per cent from the field but the Kings soon turned the tide. 

Jaylin Galloway and Shaun Bruce opened up the second term with triples before Bruce sent up an alley-oop to Galloway for a big throwdown.

Tim Soares also hit from downtown soon after to give Sydney the lead and they were able to continue to build on that the rest of the half with Walton unstoppable, especially after Gary Browne went off for the Phoenix.

Walton ended up having 21 points at half-time to go with four assists and while shooting 7/9 from the floor and 5/5 from the stripe.

The Sydney lead grew to double-figures to start the second half despite Xavier Cooks ruled out. Soares' triple pushed the lead to 12 before another bomb from Walton started a 7-0 run that kept it at 12.

The Phoenix got some good minutes from Junior Madut and Owen Foxwell late in the third term and with Creek warming to the task nicely with 13 points in the quarter, the Kings couldn’t quite put them away up 75-68.

Creek made a stunning start to the fourth with a strong and-one and then three-pointer to make it a one-point game.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Creek in transition cuts the lead to one ?<br>Catch the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> action live on Fox Sports 506, Kayo Sports and Foxtel. <a href="https://t.co/aIHyzKrs0F">pic.twitter.com/aIHyzKrs0F</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1604336069570629633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Foxwell continued he step up and hit a three to give South East Melbourne the lead before again Sydney responded. The Kings scored the next nine points including five to Angus Glover to regain a six-point edge.

Ultimately it was Soares and Kell who traded buckets before Walton free-throws regained Sydney's two-point edge with 37 seconds to go. 

There was more drama to come and Kell was fouled shooting a three, he made them all and scores were locked at 94-94 with 15 seconds left. The Phoenix did well to not foul Walton on his drive with the game on the line and the game went to overtime.

Creek got to 40 points with a three-point play early in the extra period before Kell extended the South East Melbourne lead. Justin Simon hit the next four points for Sydney, though, and it was only fitting two huge Creek and Walton threes sent it into a second overtime.

Even without Williams, Kell, Broekhoff and Browne for the Phoenix or Cooks, Vasiljevic or Hunter for the Kings, the second extra time was remarkable.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What a way to get your 21st point of the half ?<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> live and free on 10 Peach and 10play | live on Fox Sports 506 via Kayo Sports + Foxtel <a href="https://t.co/QqQe2ugopr">pic.twitter.com/QqQe2ugopr</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1604325209183772672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Creek and Walton opened it up trading baskets before another triple from Walton had scores back level. Reuben Te Rangi answered from deep and ultimately that was the clutch shot with Walton shot on the buzzer not falling.

The Phoenix now take New Zealand's place in Brisbane on Wednesday night before heading to Adelaide to take on the 36ers on Christmas Eve. The Kings turn their focus to the NBL's first ever Christmas Day game against Melbourne United.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 11

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 113 (Creek 46, Kell III 21, Williams 10)

SYDNEY KINGS 112 (Walton Jr 45, Noi 12, Soares 12) 

BOX SCORE