Adams delivers Kings stunning comeback win

The Sydney Kings are about to bring in help for Jaylen Adams but the former NBL MVP dominated the fourth quarter to lead his team to the spirit-lifting 110-101 comeback win over the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

The Phoenix controlled the contest for three quarters leading by as much as 18 points in the third, but the Kings dominated the final period led by 2022 MVP Adams.

With Sydney set to bring in a new import guard to support him, Adams was coming off 41 points against Adelaide on Monday and produced a 21-point fourth quarter at Qudos Bank Arena on Thursday.

That lifted the Kings to outscoring the Phoenix 38 points to 16 to completely turn the game on its head.

The under pressure Cam Oliver was back to start for the Kings with Keli Leaulepe out with a hamstring injury, and he responded.

He was averaging three points the past four games, but had 10 in the opening quarter although

South East Melbourne put up 30 points including a pair of consecutive three balls from former Kings championship hero Angus Glover (10 points).

The Phoenix took charge shortly before half-time with a 16-4 run including a triple from Joe Wieskamp (12 points, five rebounds) who also completed a three-point play as did Matt Hurt (13 points, 11 boards).

South East Melbourne matched their 60-point half from against the Hawks on New Year's Eve to be up 11 at the break before leading by as much 18 points in the third frame.

Sydney turned things around spectacularly in the final quarter starting with a 10-2 run which turned into them scoring 18 of the first 22 points, and eventually put up 38 to 16 to win by nine.

It's a big bounce back win for the Kings as they improve to 12-9 with Adams delivering 32 points and nine assists on 17/18 shooting from the foul line.

Fellow former MVP Xavier Cooks also had 15 points and 10 rebounds with Kouat Noi scoring 20 points, Next Star Alex Toohey 17 points and seven rebounds, and Oliver finishing with 13 points in 17 minutes.

Kings coach Brian Goorjian liked the way his team stepped up to get the win.

"You take the basketball away, that fightback and spirit and live bench, that's all on the captains," he said.

"X (Cooks) and (Shaun) Bruce had the conversation and it was my time to let them take over and they did the pre-game, and their job was to make sure everybody was ready to play.

"It's one thing when you storm on top but we were taking it pretty good so I'm just proud of the captains and the different contributions we got with some funny line-ups now that Keli's out."

It's a tough loss for the 10-10 Phoenix with Derrick Walton Jr finishing with 22 points, six rebounds and four assists with Nathan Sobey adding 23 with four boards and four assists.

Phoenix coach Josh King will be confident his team will learn from the fourth quarter.

"It was the same as last time but I still think when we're at our best we are one of the best teams in the league," he said.

"Obviously in the fourth quarter we didn’t play like one of the best teams in the league, but we'll get better and we have to learn from these things, and I'm confident my team will learn from this."

Cam Oliver was back into the starting five for Sydney and had six quick points as the Kings were leading 10-5 including an alley-oop throwdown on the pass from Alex Toohey.

The Phoenix were just finding it far too easy to score and a pair of triples former King Angus Glover helped the visitors to the 30-28 lead after one with nine extra field goal attempts.

It was taking 13 free-throws to five that was keeping the Kings in touch but again throughout the second period and South East Melbourne were finding it too easy to put points on the board.

It was a varied attack too with three-pointers from Derrick Walton Jr, Joe Wieskamp and Glover again along with Nathan Sobey, Matt Hurt and Wieskamp all rewarded by either taking it to the rack or doing work in the block.

The Phoenix were leading 60-49 going into the half on the back of shooting 52 per cent from the field opposed to just 41 from the Kings.

The Phoenix continued on their merry way in the third quarter with an early 10-3 run to see their lead blow out to 18 points following five quick points from Sobey.

Toohey and Kouat Noi hit triples to try and keep Sydney in touch, but South East Melbourne were scoring too easily and a triple from the little used Ben Ayre had them back up 18.

The lead was still 13 by three quarter-time for the visitors before the Kings did make their run early in the fourth and it was all on the back of Adams and Cooks being aggressive taking it to the rack.

They went on a 10-2 run as a result to get back within five points and then Adams delivered another six straight points to make it a one-point game, and Makuach Maluach put them in front with the finish in transition.

Three-pointers to Noi and Adams then saw Sydney's lead out to three before Adams went on another individual four-point scoring run to make it a five-point lead, and from there the Kings secured the nine-point win.

Both teams back up to play again this round with the Kings first up on the road to the Brisbane Bullets on Saturday while the Phoenix remain away to take on the Tasmania JackJumpers on Sunday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2024/25

SYDNEY KINGS 110 (Adams 32, Noi 20, Toohey 17)

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 101 (Sobey 23, Walton Jr 22, Hurt 13)

BOX SCORE