Records broken as Kell leads 36ers past Kings

Adelaide 36ers have made it two-from-two in the 1998/99 NBL championship jerseys with a stunning 95-82 win against Sydney Kings at the Entertainment Centre on Thursday night.

The 36ers made their move with an impressive second quarter performance, limiting the two-time defending champions to just eight points to go into the main break with a 42-27 lead.

In front of another record home crowd of 9580 fans, point guard Trey Kell scored a game-high 27 points to go with seven rebounds and five assists, while Isaac Humphries had a huge double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Sunday Dech (13 points) and Kyrin Galloway (six points, eight rebounds, three blocks) were huge sparks off the bench and DJ Vasiljevic had 12 points with eight assists and four rebounds.

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The Kings had NBL22 MVP Jaylen Adams lead the way with 20 points and four assists, while Angus Glover (12 points) and Kouat Noi (11 points) had their moments.

Vasiljevic, playing against his former side for the first time, got to the free throw line in the first 18 seconds to open the scoring, but the Kings then went on an 8-0 run.

Galloway was brought into the game for extended minutes early after two quick fouls on Jacob Wiley (13 points, eight rebounds) as the home side took five minutes to make their first field goal through Humphries.

After head coach Scott Ninnis took time out trailing 12-5, Adelaide went on a 7-0 run through Humphries, a Kell three-pointer and a big dunk from Galloway to tie the game at 12-12.

A huge opening quarter from Galloway ended when the 203cm power forward connected on a fadeaway jump shot off the glass to give Adelaide a 20-19 lead at the first break.

Adelaide opened the second quarter with Dech scoring back-to-back baskets, his layup after a dish from Vasiljevic giving the 36ers a 24-19 lead.

Wiley picked up a third foul as Dech single-handedly kept the 36ers scoreboard ticking over and when he found Kell on the break for a layup, the home side had a 31-23 lead.

The Kings fought back, but when Kell hit a three-pointer with the shot clock expiring and Vasiljevic converting a four-point play, the 36ers extended their lead to 40-27.

Vasiljevic drove hard to the basket to score again and the 36ers kept the Kings to eight points in the second quarter to take a 42-27 lead into the main interval.

Denzel Valentine opened the scoring to start the second half, which snapped a 9-0 36ers run, but Wiley scored in the low post and Kell converted from the free throw line to make it 46-29.

Adams then looked to take over the game and bring his side back into the contest, attacking the basket and scoring eight points in the first four minutes as the Kings reduced the Adelaide lead to 54-40.

Humphries then converted on a three-point play and when Kell threw down a slam dunk, the home side had their biggest lead of the match at 59-40.

The 36ers then increased their lead to 22 points (65-43), but the Kings went on a 7-0 run, which was snapped by a Kell free throw, and when Nick Marshall found Wiley on the buzzer, Adelaide took a 70-54 lead into the final 10 minutes.

Adelaide looked to attack early in the final quarter through Wiley and Humphries as the home side traded baskets with the Kings before Jordan Hunter (10 points, nine rebounds) fouled out.

The Kings made one final push, Adams continued to attack the hoop, Glover connected from downtown and when Jaylin Galloway scored off an offensive rebound, the 36ers’ advantage was cut to 80-68.

Sydney had two chances to reduce the margin to single digits through Valentine and Galloway, but Kell stepped up again, his step back three-pointer made it 84-68.

Adams again looked to take over down the stretch, getting to the free throw line as the Kings cut the Adelaide lead to 11 points, but the 36ers iced the game from the free throw line.

Adelaide will be back in action on Saturday afternoon when the 36ers travel to Far North Queensland to play the Taipans at the Cairns Convention Centre from 5pm.

ADELAIDE 36ERS 95 (Kell 27, Humphries 18, Dech 13, Wiley 13, Vasiljevic 12) def SYDNEY KINGS 82 (Adams 20, Glover 12, Noi 11, Hunter 10) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

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