DESPITE the two sides’ contrasting form earlier in the NBL season, Adelaide 36ers managed to defeat the Sydney Kings by eight points at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Friday night.

Having slumped to the bottom of the standings a couple of months ago, Adelaide’s resurgence continued with a magnificent comeback win over the reigning champions.

Coming into the match, the 36ers had claimed some big scalps in recent weeks, and looked a completely different side than the team at the end of CJ Bruton‘s tenure.

Meanwhile, the Kings have experienced a form drop of their own. Though, the Kings went into the game fresh off an important win over ladder-leader Melbourne United, which was as clear an indicator as any that they could be turning things around.

For much of the game, Sydney was slightly ahead on the scoreboard, leading at every change. However, the 36ers stormed home in the final term to move closer to the top six.

Adelaide 36ers (85) def. Sydney Kings (78)

In the rematch of a stirring contest from a few weeks ago, Adelaide was looking to make it two in a row against the Kings, but Sydney delivered a much better showing to start Friday’s game.

The Kings were far more competitive and able to knock down shots from the get-go at Adelaide Entertainment Centre. Having welcomed back key pieces such as DJ Hogg and Jaylin Galloway, the effort from Sydney was impressive, pulling down plenty of offensive rebounds.

Despite the improved showing from the visitors, poor shooting hindered the Kings’ chances of breaking away to a match-defining lead. Sydney shot just 34 per cent from the field and 8/35 from behind the arc, which essentially kept the 36ers in the contest. However, they trailed by five at the final change, and had not showed any sort of damaging run of their own.

Despite trailing for the majority of the match, the home side stormed home in the final term, outscoring the Kings 31-19 in that time and snatching the lead as the Kings struggled to find the bottom of the net. Sydney’s inaccuracy came back to haunt it, as the 36ers delivered a barnstorming finish to emerge 85-78 winners.

Having emerged as the premier big man of the competition over the past month, Isaac Humphries starred once again for Adelaide. He produced 20 points and 11 rebounds along with four blocks in an impactful showing on both ends.

Also impressing against his former side was Dejan Vasiljevic, who poured in 20 points of his own on 6/16 shooting from the field in his first outing since signing a contract extension.

For the Kings, 2021/22 Most Valuable Player (MVP) Jaylen Adams was instrumental in the first three quarters, finishing the match with 21 points and five assists in a classic display.