7
Dec
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Kings energy overpowers crashing Breakers
4 min read
Highlights
United Kings roll past Breakers 98-83 in New Zealand
Sydney Kings head coach Brian Goorjian credited his players' energy and camaraderie for their dominant 98-83 win against the New Zealand Breakers (Game Centre) at TSB Arena in Wellington on Sunday, December 7, 2024 in round 11 of NBL25.
The Kings improved to 9-7 with one of their most complete performances of the season, led by standout contributions from Jaylen Adams, Xavier Cooks, and Kouat Noi.
"We had both imports out for our practice sessions, so we've had that young Australian group working together for three or four days," Goorjian said post-game.
"There was just an energy and camaraderie about that. I thought that's how we started the game.
"The imports came in, and they were excited about what the group looked like and where we were at."
The Kings raced to a 9-0 start and never trailed, using their defensive intensity and athleticism to control the game.
Xavier Cooks finished with 20 points and three assists, while Jaylen Adams added 20 points and eight assists.
Kouat Noi landed 5-from-10 from beyond the arc to contribute 19 points, and NBL Next Star Alex Toohey grabbed a career-high five offensive rebounds.
The Breakers, who dropped to 7-7 with their fourth consecutive loss, struggled with turnovers and inefficient shooting.
Head coach Petteri Koponen acknowledged the effort but lamented the mistakes: "Disappointed about the loss, but I liked the effort today.
"I think we got better — we kept fighting and competing.
"We had too many turnovers, again, which I think was the big key for tonight's loss."
Sydney's fast start set the tone, with eight of their first nine points coming from the frontcourt duo of Cooks and Keli Leaupepe.
By quarter-time, the Kings led 25-14, with seven players already contributing to the scoreboard. Despite 22 combined first-half points from Matt Mooney and Parker Jackson-Cartwright, the Breakers trailed 52-40 at halftime as Sydney dominated the offensive boards and transition opportunities.
The second half saw Sydney extend their control. Tacko Fall briefly gave the Breakers a spark, but foul trouble limited his impact. A Jaylen Adams block and alley-oop assist to Cam Oliver epitomised Sydney's dominance as their lead grew to 24 points during a 13-0 run.
The Kings were up 77-54 by three quarter-time and cruised to a 15-point win.
