Roar Guru
The Sydney Kings have made it five wins in a row after knocking off the Brisbane Bullets by nine points on Sunday afternoon.
Final score
Sydney Kings 87
Brisbane Bullets 78
The Sydney Kings will be looking to extend their winning streak to five as they host the Brisbane Bullets this afternoon at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 3pm (AEDT).
In what is arguably the match of the round, the Kings will be looking for revenge after losing at home to the Bullets in the first round of the season, 77-73.
Sydney haven’t lost a game since the defeat and are fresh off a commanding 27-point victory over the Illawarra Hawks with Kevin Lisch pouring in 19 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.
An explosive third quarter powered the Kings to victory, outscoring the Hawks 25-6 and putting the game well beyond reach.
The Bullets meanwhile started last round with a loss to Melbourne United as their 16 turnovers and inefficiency from the field cost them the victory.
They bounced back with a six-point victory over the New Zealand Breakers as five players finished in double-figures scoring.
Torrey Craig scored 17 points on 66 per cent shooting while former Chicago Bulls forward Cameron Bairstow chipped in 14 points off the bench.
The game will also mark the debut for NBA veteran guard Steve Blake, who is expected to provide leadership and playmaking off the bench.
The 36-year-old averaged 6.5 points and 4 assists per game throughout his NBA career, having played with the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Detroit Pistons to name a few.
The highly-anticipated clash is sure to be a high-scoring affair as Jason Cadee, Kevin Lisch, Brad Newley and Cameron Bairstow all ranking inside the top ten in scoring across the first four rounds.
One match-up to watch will be the battle of the former NBA players, as Cameron Bairstow will battle former Los Angeles Lakers forward Josh Powell.
Both players have been significant contributors so far and whoever wins this battle could potentially give their team the edge.
Powell has been averaging 11 points and 5 rebounds for the Kings off the bench while Bairstow has been averaging close to 15 points and 7 rebounds in 22 minutes of action per game.
With the Kings pouring in the points on Illawarra last round and the Bullets stumbling, it’s hard to bet against Sydney winning at home.
While Brisbane will certainly test the strength of the Kings, it would take a well-rounded team effort from the Bullets to come away with the victory at Qudos Bank Arena.
But having won four consecutive games rather convincingly, alongside the addition of Steve Blake, the Kings are my pick to win.
Does Brisbane have what it takes to stop the hot-shooting Kings?
Join The Roar this afternoon at 2:45pm (AEDT) for live score updates and debate in our blog.