Tim Soares to new heights

What makes the Sydney Kings so difficult to contain is their depth of match-winners, and in a record-breaking Game 1 Championship Series win, Tim Soares stood front and centre.

Kendric Davis, Jaylin Galloway, Matthew Dellavedova, Xavier Cooks, Torrey Craig and Makuach Maluach all played key roles as the Kings again cracked 100 points while holding Adelaide to just 68, with the 36ers managing only six free throw attempts in a 44-point blowout.

But it was Soares who set the tone.

The starting centre delivered a dominant performance, finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds and three assists on 8-of-10 shooting, with the Kings +27 during his minutes.

Seventeen of those points came in a decisive second quarter, underlining just how impactful he was on both ends.

Coach Brian Goorjian knows exactly how important Soares is to the way the Kings function.

“We hurt and you really notice it throughout the course of the year, if he gets in foul trouble or if there’s a situation where we can’t get him involved in the game,” Goorjian said.

“We’re just a different team without him because he’s multi-purpose. He can shoot the ball, make decisions off the bounce, he’s good around the basket and he’s just a very, very good basketball player.

“He’s also absolutely, as a coach, zero maintenance. He just comes in every day, does his job and he’s a great teammate. The organisation has done quite well when Tim’s been a part of it.”

The 36ers went small in the second quarter, partly through foul trouble and partly in an attempt to match Sydney’s pace. That’s when Soares took control.

He poured in 17 points for the quarter, capitalising on the work around him and staying ready to strike.

“It’s great and sometimes I need to make sure I’m a step ahead thinking like X and Delly and all these guys, but it’s about being in the right spots, because we’ve got so many weapons from JG to Makuach and Torrey coming in too,” Soares said.

“It’s opened up everything so as long as we keep our foot down I think it’s going to be tough to stop us.”

Contributions came from across the roster, and with the result in hand by the fourth quarter, it became a chance for the group’s chemistry to shine.

Shaun Bruce returned to the floor and knocked down a three, quickly celebrating to the delight of his teammates.

Then came a feel-good moment, with big man Jason Spurgin checking in for his first NBL26 appearance after a foot injury.

When he grabbed a rebound, the reaction said it all, with both the Kings bench and the Qudos Bank Arena crowd rising in appreciation.

He then finished inside before delivering the loudest moment of all, knocking down a three-pointer that brought the arena to life.

For Soares, it was another example of the tight bond within the group.

“I think it’s everybody’s mentality and the ability to be happy for one another, and everybody is taken care of so it’s just that brotherhood that we have,” Soares said.

“That’s very important and you know, everybody’s so good to be on this team and any night people can score 20 or do what they do, so it’s just very good for us that we have a lot of weapons on our team.”