Kings Game 2 Win "Gutsiest" Ever?

Is Sydney’s Game 2 win over the New Zealand Breakers the most impressive in NBL history? According to some circles, yes.

Let’s set the scene. The Kings head into an incredibly hostile territory at a packed out Spark Arena. They’re 1-0 down in the series. If they lose, it’s basically curtains on their season. Their two best players come into the game under an injury cloud – one doesn’t make it to quarter time, the other barely makes it to the half.

Yet in the most extraordinary of circumstances the emerge with the win.

Justin Simon reminded everyone as to why he won the NBL21 Defensive Player of the Year Award – and why he won the same award in the German Bundesliga in 2022. Kouat Noi reminded everyone why he’s been such a highly touted prospect since entering the NBL in 2019, and the Kings depth just got it done.

“That is the most impressive, gutsiest win I’ve ever seen in the NBL,” NBL analyst Liam Santamaria said on NBL Overtime. “I’ve been reaching out to some people who’ve been watching the league over its entire 40-whatever years and nobody has presented something better.

“You’re 1-0 down in the Championship Series, you’re on the road, if you go 2-0 down it’s basically over – nobody has ever come back from that. You lose your two best players who are two of the best players in the league. One is the MVP, and one is an all-league point guard, and you still manage to get that done in the way they did?

“That was unbelievably impressive, from the guys on the floor – the Jordan Hunters, the Angus Glovers, the Kouat Nois … you must be feeling amazing because that was an all-time performance.”

After the Kings fell victim to their own defensive tactics in Game 1 – Will McDowell-White ran rampant against the drop defence the Kings have executed so successfully all season – but they switched up their approach in Game 2.

McDowell-White struggled to shake the likes of Jaylin Galloway and the aforementioned Simon, and the Breakers struggled to adapt to the zone Chase Buford implemented for his players.

“That drop defence, the Breakers dissected that defence in Game 1 but in Game 2 they played aggressive. That was the difference in the game right there – refuse to lose,” former MVP Corey Williams said.

“It was impressive, it was heroic. That’s the word I’m going to use because nine points in two minutes for Xavier Cooks, Derrick Walton Jr barely played and for them to win without their two key players that shows the desire and the depth. It was heroic.

“They lose that, this thing is over on Friday.

“For them Kouat Noi had the best game of his career, it was a beautiful thing to watch if you’re a Sydney Kings fan, everybody else watching would have been like ‘at some point New Zealand is going to kick into gear, figure out the zone, take advantage of it, and Sydney’s not going to be able to keep this thing up.”

The likely fit-again Xavier Cooks and Derrick Walton Jr will host the Breakers at Qudos Bank Arena in Friday night’s Game 3.

Catch the game live on ESPN via Kayo Freebies from 7:30pm AEDT.