Sydney Kings

Behind 21 points from Derrick Walton Jr and 19 from Xavier Cooks the defending champs got the job done in front of 18149 fans at Qudos Arena.

The Breakers got 11 first-half points from Brantley and 9 from McDowell-White but had some momentum to regain after the halftime break with just a one-point (36-35) lead. Just hours before tipoff, Breakers owner Matt Walsh was sanctioned and fined $1500 for breaching the NBL code of conduct for a tweet he made about the officiating during game three of the championship series. But Maor relied heavily on his top seven players, with Cam Gliddon (5:39) and Rayan Rupert (2:03) the only others to see action, and it cost them in the end. They also got a courageous 12 points off the bench from Angus Glover, who shook off a sternum injury to make some big plays down the stretch, including a remarkable dunk off his own 3-point miss that hit the side of the backboard, and 11 points (on 4-of-4 shooting) from ultra-aggressive backup forward Kouat Noi. The Breakers were paced by Barry Brown Jr’s 22 points, on 8-of-18 shooting, and 4 rebounds, but there was an over-reliance on the playmaking guard late in the piece and it cost them dearly as their scoring dried up. At that stage they looked to have the energy, and the urgency, to go all the way.

NZ Breakers 69. Sydney Kings 77. A fairytale finish wasn't to be for the New Zealand Breakers. Just one season removed from finishing at the foot of the NBL ...

But just as it looked like the defending champions were about to take over, the Breakers refused to let that happen and fought back through some big baskets to Izayah Le’afa and Brown Jr. While the Kings were struggling across the board, the Breakers were doing the opposite. With one game to decide the series, the Breakers played with a tight rotation. The side made their intentions clear through the opening 10 minutes, with more than 60 per cent of their shot attempts falling to see them double up the Kings’ score and hold the hosts to a season-low 11 points in the first quarter. While Cooks had his struggles defending Brantley, he made up for it through his offensive production and rebounding, and Walton seemed to find teammates in space and rhythm with frequency. On one end of the floor, they were playing lockdown defence and rebounding the Sydney Kings’ many missed shot attempts. On the other, they were filling the bucket up at a high rate. Import guard Derrick Walton Jr was a maestro with ball in hand, finishing with 21 points, six assists and the championship MVP award, while NBA-bound big man Xavier Cooks was a force with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Instead, the Kings went on a 14-0 run to build a seven-point lead of their own, ultimately closing out the series and claiming their second-straight NBL championship. The third quarter started as the second finished, with the Kings getting to the hoops early to build a four-point lead. It was the Breakers who took the early advantage, building a three-possession lead with seven minutes to play. Aside from sixth man of the year Barry Brown Jr, Rob Loe was the only bench player to see a big role.

Bench guard Angus Glover also played a major role in the 77-69 win over the New Zealand Breakers in the series-deciding match in Sydney.

Cooks’ last game before joining the NBA’s Washington Wizards was his best of the championship series, despite a corked thigh continuing to give him grief. Sydney’s fifth NBL title comes after one of the closest championship series in NBL history - it marked only the fifth time a best-of-five series had been taken to five games, and the second time since 1997 the team that lost game one went on to clinch the trophy. In front of the largest NBL crowd in history - 18,124 - NBA-bound forward Xavier Cooks had his best game of the series to help the Kings fight back from 12 points down in the first half.

The 2023 NBL Championship has finally been decided after an epic five-game series between the Sydney Kings and New Zealand Breakers, with the Kings tasting ...

Not only earning the praise of his teammates, but Glover also earnt full praise of the sold-out home crowd of 18,124. So close, to making their dream a reality, the Breakers couldn’t have played any better tonight, giving it their all. He’s played well beyond the role he’s supposed to play,” Walton Jr said. In the second quarter, he helped drag the Kings from 12 points down to go into the break with a one-point deficit. Down by seven, with less than five minutes to go, the new ‘King of Sydney’ delivered back-to-back clutch plays. I really felt that this team could have gotten it across the line,” Maor said. Entering the NBL Grand Final with different stories, the Kings looked to go back-to-back for the first time since their three-peat in 2003, 2004, and 2005. In a series that will stay in the memories of fans for years to come, both teams put their all into a very heated championship series. Despite, wincing in pain on the bench after sustaining an injury, this didn’t stop the 24-year-old from returning when coach Chase Buford needed him the most. Continuing his form coming off the bench, Glover was key in the second and fourth quarters. While multiple players got in foul trouble, Glover’s reliability offensively and defensively helped light a fire inside of his teammates. “‘Glove’ has been great for us all year.

Coach Chase Buford won't call it a dynasty yet, but the Sydney Kings have defended their NBL title by defeating the New Zealand Breakers 77-69 in the fifth ...

A jump shot from Walton (team-high 21 points, six assists) gave the Kings their first lead since early in the first quarter but New Zealand imports Barry Brown Jr. For masterminding the Kings' attack from the back-court, guard Derrick Walton Jr. The Breakers were quicker to come out of the blocks, leading by as many as 11 points in the first quarter and doing well to muscle the Kings out of the paint and force them into low-percentage shots.

The Sydney Kings have won the 2022/23 NBL title by defeating the New Zealand Breakers 77-69 in the...

(team-high 21 points, six assists) gave the Kings their first lead since early in the first quarter and proved a sign of things to come. The American began to make things happen for the Kings in a tight third quarter. Sydney were unable to attack the paint as normal, locked out by resolute New Zealand defence and forced into taking low-percentage shots.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Sydney Kings win NBL championship epic against New Zealand Breakers. Watch the latest sport on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus ...

“That’s not what we want.” The Breakers were quicker to come out of the blocks, leading by as many as 11 points in the first quarter and doing well to muscle the Kings out of the paint and force them into low-percentage shots. “We’re in the middle of a back-to-back, that’s what I’m worried about tonight,” Buford said. “Last year was kind of a crescendo towards the end, this was a grind, this whole year,” Buford said. Despite the trophy, Buford was hesitant to declare the Kings were in the midst of an NBL dynasty. The epic match was marred only by a “disgraceful” act from a fan.