NATIONAL Basketball League (NBL) fans were awarded with two classic nail-biters in some Sunday basketball, with the New Zealand Breakers‘ thrilling win over the Illawarra Hawks followed by the Sydney Kings getting the job done against Melbourne United.

In a must-win for Sydney, the Kings earned United’s place at third on the table after securing a three-point win, 97-94. United’s inconsistent play since their first nine-game stretch has been disappointing, as they have struggled to maintain a steady streak of wins and have looked quite average since, as they now drop to fourth place after this recent loss.

An unfortunate injury to Xavier Cooks caused concerns going into the game, as with the loss of such a crucial player, United were thought to be able to take advantage of that. Things went from bad to worse for Sydney in the second quarter when Matthew Dellavedova suffered an injury after a rough clash with Dash Daniels. Before the injury, ‘Delly’ seemed to have a focus on scoring the ball, starting off very aggressive scoring a quick 11 points.

Now with both Dellavedova and Cooks out, Kendric Davis needed someone else to step up, and that call was answered by Jaylin Galloway. It proved to be a match-winning performance from the wing, as he had a career-high 27 points on 10/11 shooting, including 5/5 from the three-point line. Big triples down the stretch from Galloway were a major factor in why Sydney was able to get the win.

Alongside Galloway, superstar point guard Davis had an eye-catching 23 points and six assists, using his speed to control the entire game. This performance, even without Dellavedova and Cooks, shows how talented this Kings team is, and as they continue to improve game by game, they seriously have a chance to make a big statement once the finals come around.

United got unlucky in some areas with this loss, while shooting 52 per cent compared to the Kings’ 45.9 and even having more field goals made, the decider in the end seemed to be the little things. If Melbourne would have been able to shoot its free throws at a more efficient rate compared to the eventual 68 per cent it delivered, United would have had a chance to have won the game, which is a part of those little things that can make or break a game.

Jesse Edwards had a strong 23-point game, as he continues to show his incredible talent as an interior threat both offensively and defensively. Chris Goulding also showed that he still has plenty left in the tank, even at 37 years old, with 21 points, including five three-pointers.

Tanner Krebs made an impact off the bench with 12 points and nine rebounds, and Tyson Walker finished with a strong 16 points. Milton Doyle struggled on the scoring side of the ball, shooting just 25 percent from the field, but was able to make an impact in another way as he finished with eight assists and seven rebounds.

In the final seconds of the game, Goulding put up a wild shot from way beyond the three-point line to potentially tie the game, which did not go in, awarding Sydney its third straight win against United. The Kings’ composure down the stretch was the main factor for them to secure the win, and the game showed how fine the margins are between the top teams in the competition.