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The Sydney Kings have responded to consecutive losses, coming away with a crucial 99-93 win over the Illawarra Hawks at the WIN Entertainment Centre.
With first position up for grabs, the Kings built a lead in the third quarter that the Hawks just couldn’t reel in, taking them to 9-2 for the season and opening up breathing space from their rivals on the ladder.
Sydney had five scorers in double digits, including four with 15 or more in an impressive team display, characterised by ferocious defence (10 blocks).
Kevin Lisch top-scored for the visitors with 23 points to go with three rebounds, four assists and three steals. He was joined by Greg Whittington, who had 20 points, six rebounds and two blocks, including a highlight dunk in the first quarter.
Cameos from Brad Newley (15 points, six rebounds, seven assists) and Jason Cadee (22 points) contributed to the vital victory, which saw the Kings snap back-to-back losses at the hands of Melbourne and Adelaide last week.
Despite leading by as much as 19 in the final term, Kings coach Andrew Gaze wasn’t calling it a night.
“We got 19 up and I was very nervous on the sidelines, because I knew what was coming,” he said.
“They get loose, and Rotnei Clarke made some unbelievable shots.
“It was to our credit that we hung on with some big plays down the stretch.
“Fortunately for us, we made some big shots, and that’s a massive win for us because it’s our first series win. Series wins are going to be vital, so we can put that one in the bank.”
The win was the third in as many encounters for the Kings over their NSW rivals and provides them with the season split over the Hawks, something that could be of the upmost important come finals time.
Rotnei Clarke tried hard to keep his side in the game with a game-high 29 points, including 6-9 from long range. Oscar Forman lit it up from deep as well, scoring 18 points on 6-9 shooting from beyond the arc.
The loss ends a run of three successive wins for the Hawks, who face Brisbane for the first time this season when they head north on Saturday night.
The game started with an intensity you’d expect from the top two teams on the ladder. Baskets were traded for the first part of the quarter before the injection of Rotnei Clarke and Michael Holyfield saw the Hawks go on an 11-0 run to hold a commanding eight-point lead.
An animated timeout from Andrew Gaze saw the Kings respond to the deficit, going on a 10-2 run of their own to tie the scores at 25 after one quarter.
Two early three-pointers from Clarke gave the Hawks the early ascendancy in the second term, but that was countered by the efforts of import Greg Whittington, who landed a number of big plays to finish the half with 16 points, and giving the Kings a 52-44 lead at the half.
The Kings threatened to put the game to bed early in the third when a Jason Cadee bomb from beyond the arc stretched the lead out to 15, however Clarke and Nick Kay answered the call, scoring 14 consecutive points to cut the lead back to just three.
After a relatively quiet start, Kevin Lisch came into action deep in the third, scoring five points in a crucial run which saw the Kings head into the final quarter with a 78-66 lead.
Again, things threatened to get ugly for the home side when the Kings pushed the lead to 19, but like the previous term, the Hawks refused to go down without a fight.
Big threes to Clarke and Forman closed the lead to just five with just over two minutes to play, but the Kings managed to hold their nerve, making the shots required down the stretch to remain at the top of the ladder.
The Kings now face the Taipans in Cairns on Friday night, before returning home on Sunday to face a Mebourne United side looking to continue their hot run of form.
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