THE Sydney Kings have started their National Basketball League (NBL) title defence in perfect fashion, rallyiung behind Kouat Noi‘s perimeter shooting to defeat the Illawarra Hawks in Round 1 of the 2023/24 season.

The first outing for both sides took place at WIN Entertainment Centre on Saturday night, in another installment of the Highway series. It was also Sydney’s first match since claiming the NBL championship last season, beginning its quest for a third consecutive title. Although the Kings had been one of the most dominant teams of the modern era, a plethora of roster and coaching changes raised questions around the team heading into the fixture.

However, these concerns were quashed in the team’s opening game of the season. After an arm wrestle in the opening term, the Kings got the better of the Hawks, getting back to their dominant best with some terrific work on the offensive end. Sydney broke away late in the first half, and took that momentum into the second half. Although Illawarra kept in the hunt on the eve of three-quarter time, the Kings seemingly always had an answer, cruising home to a 15-point win.

One of the biggest factors in the match was the performance of Noi, who had a massive impact off the bench to help his side to a winning score.

Illawarra Hawks (81) def. by Sydney Kings (96)

Kouat Noi – 23 points, four rebounds, one assist

In the absence of some key names for the Kings, the team needed multiple sources of scoring if it was going to get to a winning score, and Noi was the answer.

Missing star forward DJ Hogg, Sydney was always going to be without some crucial offence, and Jaylen Adams would need some help. When the remaining starters struggled to start the game, Noi was the one to stand up and deliver some big buckets.

The forward chimed in with a game-high 23 points, in just 17 minutes of play off the bench in an extremely important cameo for the visiting side. Noi shot the lights out and his influence ended up turning the game in Sydney’s favour just before the second quarter ended.

He nailed six three-pointers on eight attempts, working hard off the ball to find himself free around the perimeter. 14 of his points came in the first half, including a pair of triples on the eve of half time to give the Kings some crucial breathing space.

Without his shooting, there is no doubt the Kings would have struggled to snatch the momentum of the match and eventually get to their first win of the season.