NBL25: Rivals Go Down To The Wire In Best Game of Round 6
It was the latest instalment in one of the longest standing rivalries in Australian basketball, between two teams in a similar situation looking to boost their season so far with a win.
A match-up between the Sydney Kings and the home team Perth Wildcats always produces drama, tension and excitement, and their encounter at the RAC Centre in late October was no exception.
Early on the Wildcats kept finding gaps through the Sydney defence, with Izan Almansa making the most of his shot attempts early on. After a slow start the Kings closed the gap in the low post, bringing the gap down from seven to the scores level at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter Sydney took over, Xavier Cooks leading a dominant performance in the paint for the visitors which saw them go in front by nine points. As half-time neared, Keanu Pinder kept knifing through the lane and hitting layup after layup, making it a single possession game when the teams went back to the locker rooms.
Pinder continued bulldozing the Kings’ opposition in to the second half, as well as making plenty second-chance points from his team, Perth has amassed an 11-1 run to begin Q3 and by the end of the period had gone six points clear.
Sydney kept the pressure on though, with Kouat Noi leading a charge from three-point territory, as well as the low post as time ticked down. The Kings started to build momentum and closed the gap, to
a one-point lead ahead of the last minute.
Kristian Doolittle was fouled on a late shot and made a three-point play to put Perth back in front, then Elijah Pepper added two more from the charity stripe. Noi kept the hope alive with a three-pointer with four seconds left, when the Wildcats got possession back, Pepper was fouled and added two more from the line, leaving Sydney no time for a final attempt at basket.
Pinder was outstanding with 34 points for Perth, while Doolittle was key to the Wildcats' defence, grabbing 14 total rebounds. Noi scored 15 in just fourteen minutes on the court for the Kings, while Cooks led the team on both ends with 22 points and 11 total rebounds in the loss.
Коментарі