Sydney Kings storm home to beat Adelaide 36ers

Monday, October 9, 2023

The Sydney Kings have celebrated the unfurling of the NBL23 banner with a win over Adelaide.

The Sydney Kings have celebrated the unfurling of their latest NBL championship banner by storming home to a 109-100 win over the Adelaide 36ers.

Some 14,029 fans, the biggest crowd for a stand-alone home opener in NBL history, turned out to celebrate last season's triumph.

But if the subsequent game was anything to by, the new-look Kings still have some way to go to recapture their league-dominating form of recent years and surge to a three-peat.

The end scoreline did not do justice to an Adelaide side that was the better team in a hotly contested third quarter, but that admittedly fell well off the pace in the last.

Starting centre Jordan Hunter was the Kings' most prolific scorer with 22 points and eight rebounds.

The pre-season wooden spoon fancies erased the Kings' nine-point half-time lead in the third term, with imports Trey Kell III (28 points, five rebounds) and Jacob Wiley (17 points, five assists) starring.

But after the final change, Kings guard and renowned clutch player Jaylen Adams (16 points, eight assists) hit back-to-back three-pointers to send the home crowd into raptures.

The baskets restored the Kings' nine-point lead and forced a Sixers timeout.

From there, normal transmission resumed; the Kings were able to play the quick basketball that has won them the last two titles and the Sixers were gassed.

Adelaide have now slumped to a 0-4 record and are the only team yet to win a game this season.

New Kings import Denzel Valentine is still easing into the NBL but had his best game yet with 15 points and five assists.

After Wiley missed two free-throws late in the third quarter, Valentine hit a quick three that ensured the Kings would lead at the final change.

The Kings' three-point specialist Kouat Noi gave them a hot start with two baskets from deep early on. He finished with 14 points.

A lighting malfunction midway through the third quarter forced play to a halt.

Jaylen Adams shot a three in the dark just as play stopped but much to the home crowd's dismay, the points did not count.

The remainder of the third quarter was played in low light as the globes warmed back up.