ADELAIDE 36ers have backed up their brilliant win last weekend with another stirring performance, downing the Sydney Kings by 13 points at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Thursday night.

Currently sitting at the bottom the table, the 36ers recorded a second consecutive upset victory at their home venue, which has become somewhat of a fortress in recent weeks.

A blistering first half saw Adelaide completely suffocate the opposition on the defensive end, and show how even the competition has become in the last month.

On the other hand, it is another disappointing performance from the two-time reigning champions, who have looked underwhelming in the past few rounds.

After seemingly solidifying a finals spot over the first eight weeks, Sydney’s form has dropped dramatically, with the team now sitting in fourth spot and at risk of dropping out of the top four by round’s end.

Adelaide 36ers (95) def. Sydney Kings (82)

The 36ers completely owned the first half, putting the two-time reigning champions to the sword with a dominant display. Adelaide did as it pleased, picking holes in Sydney’s defence and getting good looks with swift ball movement and impressive shot-making.

On the other hand, the Kings will be left to rue their poor shot selection, which saw just 27 points registered in the first half from the visitors. When looking for a basket, Sydney began to chuck up low-percentage shots from behind the arc, going 5/33 from long range on the match. Many of these attempts felt rushed, and ensured the team did not get any offensive momentum going in the opening two quarters.

It was an improved effort from the Kings in the second half, as the visiting team worked the ball around to get better looks from the field. However, Adelaide was in strong form on the offensive end, and kept its score ticking over to ensure the Kings were never in with a sniff.

One highlight came late in the game for Sydney, with Kouat Noi throwing down a massive poster dunk in the dying minutes, but the game was over by this stage.

The performance of Trey Kell III was a massive factor in Adelaide’s success, with the import forward delivering a second consecutive best-on-court performance. Against the Kings, he poured in 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists in an excellent showing. Also impressing for the victors was Isaac Humphries, with the big man posting 18 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.

In a highly anticipated battle-within-the-battle, former Kings guard Dejan Vasiljevic had 11 points and eight assists against his old side. For Sydney, former MVP Jaylen Adams was his side’s best with 20 points and four assists, attempting to lead a second-half comeback.