THE National Basketball League (NBL) resumed on for some Sunday afternoon action, when the Sydney Kings faced off against the Brisbane Bullets at Qudos Bank Arena. This was the second match-up of the round between these two sides, with the Bullets taking the chocolates home in that clash. However, it was the Kings who were able to exact revenge in this clash, producing a powerful performance, particularly in the first three quarters. By the time the two teams headed into the final term, the damage was done, and despite a stronger quarter from the visitors, the Kings were able to walk away victorious to the tune of 24 points in one of their most impressive outings for the 2021/22 season.

FIRST QUARTER

The home side kicked off the game in style, with a big opening term to gain the upper hand early in the contest. The opening stages of the quarter saw a scoring drought from both sides, with a Robert Franks jump shot the only basket for the first two minutes. It wasn’t until the last four minutes of the term that the Kings were able to gain some level of ascendancy. Their starters were terrific to close out the quarter, moving the ball with ease and finding a way to get to the free throw line on plenty of occasions. They headed into quarter-time with a 10-point advantage over the Bullets in a promising start to the match.

SECOND QUARTER

The second period saw more of the same, with the Kings simply outplaying their opponents on both ends of the court. The Bullets were suffocated by Sydney’s perimeter and interior defence, and could not get the ball rolling in terms of scoring. On the other hand, the Kings were still finding easy ways to hit the scoreboard as the lead continued to grow. Much like the first term, the home team truly put the foot down to close out the quarter, scoring most of their points in this time. By the time the main break rolled around, the Kings’ lead had been extended to 21 points with things starting to get tricky for the Bullets.

THIRD QUARTER

The third term saw the Kings continue to excel, but the Bullets were able to stop the bleeding to a certain extent. The offensive output of Sydney continued to chug along nicely, but it was well-matched by Brisbane for the first time this match. The Kings still won the quarter, but it was a much closer affair this time around. The lead only grew by seven points in this time as the Bullets were finally able to find the bottom of the net towards the end of the term. They still trailed by 28 points at the final break, but signs were much more promising.

FOURTH QUARTER

The final period saw a stronger performance from the visitors, as the Kings began to put their game into cruise control with an unassailable lead. The margin ended up being trimmed down by four points in this time, but this was largely due to the result being sealed way before the final term even began. The Bullets will be pleased with how they closed the match, but the Kings were still able to leave the court with a 24-point win in front 4,237 happy Sydney fans.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

The Kings were well-led by guard Dejan Vasiljevic, who was terrific on the offensive end of the court. He poured in 23 points, including five shots from behind the arc, in what was one of his best performances since his return to the court from injury. After a disappointing ejection from the earlier matchup against the Bullets, Xavier Cooks made amends with 13 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. For the Bullets, Lamar Patterson fought hard all match to get to 16 points in tough conditions, given the momentum was flowing one way.