Where there is a Will, there is a way. Brisbane Bullets young buck Will Magnay has produced the NBL game of his life to lead his side to a stunning 87-80 win over the Sydney Kings at Nissan Arena on Saturday.

The 21-year-old - rated as an NBA future prospect by many - was sublime with 23 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks in easily the best game of his short career. It just happened to be opposed to NBA champion and reigning NBL MVP and Best Defensive Player Andrew Bogut too.

It was a night of firsts for Magnay, handed his first starting jersey, nailing his first three-pointer (and adding two more for good measure) and completing his first NBL double-double.

Confidence runs through the big man's veins and he said the win should put the rest of the league on notice.

"We believe in ourselves and we are coming - here we are," Magnay said.

"Drej (coach Andrej Lemanis) and the boys have been really confident in me all season. Credit to the boys, they got me open and trusted in me as well."

The last time the two sides met back in Round 6, Brisbane piled on 60 first-half points to lead the Kings by 13 points at half-time, before surrendering a 28-7 third quarter and ultimately losing by 10.

With the ghosts of that loss still haunting the Bullets, no lead was going to be enough to feel comfortable especially considering the Kings' hold on top spot and with Brisbane needing to try and just stay in touch with the top four.

But the intensity of Magnay coupled with the guile of import Patterson (15 points, three assists), ensured that it was Sydney that surrendered a major lead this time around.

Cam Gliddon has averaged just over six points a match this season with reduced minutes and virtually all his numbers half what he has delivered across his career. But he was handed an opportunity to find his starting mojo in the starting five of this match.

He took that opportunity with both hands, finishing with 13 points on perfect shooting - including three from long range.

Casper Ware (26 points, five rebounds, three assists) filled his boots as usual but struggled to find support with Jae'Sean Tate (13 points, four rebounds) and Daniel Kickert (12 points, three rebounds) next best.

Bogut had minimal impact in his limited minutes while the normally prolific Brad Newley couldn't get going as he shot just 2/11.

Gliddon found the bottom of the net early from long range, as did Patterson who hit back-to-back triples to hand the Bullets and early 11-4 lead.

Brisbane continued to blaze away from beyond the arc but could not replicate the success, handing the Kings opportunities to graft their way back - Deshon Taylor nailing a triple to lock up the scores.

The Kings pushed that lead out to 29-21 at quarter-time and the story got worse for the Bullets as Patterson and Matt Hodgson found themselves on the bench in foul trouble.

A Xavier Cooks triple lifted the Kings to a 12-point advantage and suddenly the Bullets had a massive mountain to climb.

Brisbane tightened the screws on the defensively which led to triples for Taylor Braun and Gliddon with Magnay proving his scout wrong by knocking down three bombs from downtown of his own.

That got the crowd going before EJ Singler have Brisbane the 48-45 lead at the main break.

Magnay kept it going in the second half, finding the rack with ease and even pulling off a huge block on Taylor as well as Brisbane's lead extended to 14.

Ware remained an omnipresent threat for the Kings, but Rueben Te Rangi - playing his 200th NBL game - drained a triple that helped consolidate the Brisbane lead.

Brisbane went into the final quarter leading 69-58 but the Kings were always going to come and the visitors produced a 10-0 run to road back into it.

But Patterson and Jason Cadee drained triples to again push out to a sizeable lead. Singler suffered a chipped tooth while there was collateral damage to Xavier Cooks' elbow from the contact, but both should be fit to play for their respective clubs in their next matches.

Sydney is at home to South East Melbourne Phoenix on Monday while Brisbane will look to back up Friday night at home to the New Zealand Breakers.

NBL ROUND 12

BRISBANE BULLETS 87 (Magnay 23, Patterson 23, Gliddon 13)

SYDNEY KINGS 80 (Ware 26, Tate 13, Kickert 12)

BOX SCORE