REMAINING one of the form teams of the National Basketball League (NBL) heading towards the end of the season, the Sydney Kings claimed a dominant 18-point win over the Illawarra Hawks in last night’s encounter.

The Hawks travelled up the highway to take on the Kings at Qudos Bank Arena, with the former looking to keep their season alive given the state of play has seen sixth spot remain up for grabs. However, they faced a tall task in the form of Sydney, with the hosts looking to move up to second spot and continue to peak at the right time of year.

It was an emphatic first half performance that set up the win for the Kings, with the home side leading by as much as 29 points to get the job done on the back of their best offensive performance of the 2025/26 season.

Sydney Kings (122) def. Illawarra Hawks (104)

The Kings were electric on the offensive side of the ball, putting up a whopping 122 points without overtime to show just how high their ceiling truly is. It came on the back of shooting 58 per cent from the field and 53 per cent from behind the arc in a terrific display of efficiency, poking holes in the Hawks’ defence and creating good looks.

Sydney was willing to pass the ball as much as possible, dishing out 30 assists along with just 13 turnovers to show an excellent level of efficiency. The Kings have had the wood over their New South Wales neighbours this season, winning all three meetings between the two sides by a considerable margin to comfortably hold the title of best team in the state.

It was a terrific team performance from the Kings, who had plenty of contributors in a strong display of depth, which is a promising sign heading towards what should be a competitive postseason landscape. Following the addition of Torrey Craig and the return of Matthew Dellavedova and Xavier Cooks from injury, Sydney has contributors aplenty.

The Kings were led by MVP contender Kendric Davis, who was his reliable self with 22 points and nine assists on 5/8 shooting from the field and a perfect 10/10 from the charity stripe. He continues to prove incredibly productive at the point guard position, and has been a huge factor in getting the Kings to second spot.

Big man Tim Soares top scored for the home side with 23 points, controlling the paint despite facing some stiff competition in the form of JaVale McGee, while Makuach Maluach (21 points, 3/4 3PT), Craig (14 points, five rebounds, five assists, two blocks), Cooks (15 points, six rebounds) and Kouat Noi (12 points) all contributed strongly.

Although the Hawks were trailing most of the game, they were led strongly by captain Tyler Harvey, who was able to deliver offence when they needed it, dropping 25 points in his return to the starting lineup. If he can return to form, it will give Illawarra a big boost.