Two wins. Three nights. Two hostile courts. If the NBL needed another reminder of who sets the standard, the Sydney Kings delivered it the hard way.
Sydney’s 99-91 victory over Perth on Wednesday 28 October, followed by Friday’s gutsy 71-68 escape against Tasmania, was more than a successful road trip. It was a statement against the two teams sitting above them when the assignment began.
First came the Wildcats at RAC Arena, where the Kings opened as though they had somewhere else to be. Their first 10 shots dropped, setting the platform for a 33-17 opening quarter. Torrey Craig finished with 26 points, Kendric Davis added 24, and Sydney held firm when Perth inevitably came charging.
Winning in Perth is one thing. Packing up and doing it again in Tasmania barely 48 hours later is another.
The players were up at 4.15 am on Thursday to travel to Launceston via Melbourne. Waiting at the other end were the ladder-leading JackJumpers, a side with fresh legs and every reason to fancy its chances. Sydney had an alarm clock and unfinished business.
Friday was no shooting exhibition. It was elbows, effort and finding something when the tank looked empty. Down seven inside the final three minutes, the Kings appeared ready to buckle. Instead, Makuach Maluach buried successive three-pointers, and Sydney finished with a 12-2 surge to steal the contest and reclaim top spot at 7-3.
Davis collected 20 points and nine assists despite a difficult shooting night. That mattered. The Kings did not need everything going their way to get the result. They needed nerve, defensive resolve and someone willing to take the next shot.
That is the difference between looking dangerous and being the benchmark.
Perth tested their control. Tasmania tested what remained after the travel, the short turnaround and the bruises. Neither could finish them.
The competition already knew Sydney’s championship credentials. This brutal little stretch simply underlined them: catch the Kings if you can.
