Kings bounce back against NZ to keep title hopes alive

Jaylen Adams has exploded to breathe life into the Sydney Kings' tilt for a third-straight NBL title in a 105-76 trouncing of a disappointing New Zealand Breakers.

The former MVP scored 39 points in just 27 minutes before being pulled from the contest barely halfway through the final quarter to the dismay of the Qudos Bank Arena crowd of 16,605 there for the Pink Game for the McGrath Foundation.

The 29-point margin was the Kings' equal-second largest winning margin in the 40-minute era, and came after Kouat Noi missed a huge dunk in the final seconds that would have extended it.

Sydney led by as many as 38 points thanks to brilliant first-half shooting, with Adams making his first five triples and the hosts going 11-of-15 from deep before the main break.

They also out-rebounded the Breakers 22-7 in the first half and began the third quarter explosively, with Jaylin Galloway dunking from a fast break created by Alex Toohey's steal.

A loss to Adelaide on Friday was the two-time defending champion's eighth from their past 11 games.

The emphatic response has pushed them back into fourth, equal with third and fifth-placed Tasmania and Brisbane with an 11-11 record.

Denzel Valentine was scoreless last time the teams met but the Kings wing was busy early, scoring 20 of his 23 points in the first half.

Four Breakers scored between 10 and 15 points but the visitors, who fell by one point at home to Melbourne on Friday in a controversial loss, were never in the hunt.

The defeat has dropped them to second-last on the ladder with an 8-12 record, however they remain just two wins outside the Play-In positions.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 15

SYDNEY KINGS 105 (Adams 39, Valentine 23, Glover 13)

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 76 (Le'afa 15, Gliddon 12, Jackson-Cartwright 12)

BOX SCORE