COMING into Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon with a clear plan in mind, the Sydney Kings demonstrated just how prominent they will be in the race for the 2025/26 National Basketball League (NBL) championship, defeating the ladder-leading Adelaide 36ers by four points.

It was a result built on shutting down five-time MVP Bryce Cotton, who is undoubtedly still the most important player in the competition. However, Brian Goorjian and his team denied the superstar any sort of space in the blockbuster clash, and taking away Adelaide’s most dangerous asset allowed the Kings to get the job done on their home deck.

The Kings are making a strong charge for a top-two spot come season’s end, and Sunday’s result could prove crucial in achieving this goal in the coming month, and certainly sent a big message to the rest of the competition.

Sydney Kings (105) def. Adelaide 36ers (101)

The Kings are an even more intimidating prospect on both ends of the floor following the addition of Torrey Craig over the past few weeks. The former NBA wing was one of the biggest signings of the season, and delivered his first standout performance with Sydney on Sunday afternoon in terms of both offensive and defensive impact.

Craig and Makuach Maluach shared duties on Cotton, and were excellent in restricting the most dangerous player on the floor for most of the match. They hounded the superstar and never allowed him any time and space with or without the ball. Cotton was scoreless in the first half and although he managed to scrape his way to 17 points, 12 of those came in the final quarter of the match.

The Kings’ newest signing was not only able to make his mark on the defensive end, but also prove the most damaging scorer in the contest as well. He knocked down six triples on eight attempts to finish the match with a game-high 26 points on 9/15 shooting overall, showing just how scary this Sydney team can be when fully fit.

Fellow MVP contender Kendric Davis was at his productive best for the Sixers over the weekend, with the point guard dropping 20 points, five boards and 14 assists in another huge performance against his biggest rival in the race for the league’s highest individual honour.

New Adelaide addition John Jenkins continued his strong start to his tenure in South Australia, leading the way with 20 points for the Sixers in the four-point loss, while big man Isaac Humphries was strong with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

The result sees the Kings move within one win of the SEM Phoenix in second spot, while the Sixers are just a sole victory ahead of second spot, setting up a blockbuster finish to the season. Adelaide will next face off against the struggling Brisbane Bullets in the Ignite Cup on Wednesday, while Sydney faces off against the surging Illawarra Hawks on Thursday night.