Sixers fall to Kings in opening NBL Cup appearance

The Adelaide 36ers couldn’t quite back up a strong second quarter to open the NBL Cup with the Sydney Kings ending up prevailing 94-77 on Sunday night in Melbourne.

The Sixers put together a strong enough first half at Melbourne's John Cain Arena to open their NBL Cup campaign where they will play each rival club once with a winner of the tournament to be crowned while the results still count to the overall season records.

Despite giving up 30 points to a hot shooting Sydney in the first quarter, Adelaide produced an impressive second quarter to outscore the Kings 29 points to 18 to claim their first point of the NBL Cup in the process.

They had forced Sydney into seven turnovers and taken nine more shots to be winning the possession game and still shooting at 52 per cent from the field to see the Sixers up 51-48 at the half.

But it wouldn’t last and it was the Kings who dominated the final 20 minutes outscoring the 36ers 46 points to 26 after the break to come away with the 17-point victory.

In contrast to the first half, Adelaide shot just 10/33 from the field in the second and had 13 turnovers.

Unfortunately it wasn’t the response the 36ers were hoping for to a 19-point loss at home last time against the Kings or also a 19-point defeat back on Monday against the Brisbane Bullets at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

But the good news about the NBL Cup is that they get a chance to quickly respond on Tuesday against the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Tony Crocker top-scored for Adelaide with 15 points to go with three rebounds and two assists as he was more aggressive offensively.

Isaac Humphries had 14 points, six rebounds and three steals as well for the 36ers with Sunday Dech contributing 13 points and five assists, and Josh Giddey 10 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks.

Daniel Johnson finished with six points and four rebounds, Jack McVeigh six points, Keanu Pinder six points and four rebounds, Brendan Teys five points, and Daniel Dillon two points, two rebounds and two assists.

Sixers coach Conner Henry was happy with how his team responded to the slow start with the strong second quarter, but was frustrated by the second half.

"Clearly we didn’t start well but we played really well in the second quarter and had great energy on the defensive end, and pushed the tempo to get the ball through hands and wrestled it back to even," Henry said.

"But then we walk out in the third period and have zero energy, and we quit doing the good things of moving the basketball. 

"We end up with 13 turnovers in the second half and only six assists, and defensively we broke down. Our communication was poor and it snowballed for us. It didn’t look good and that's where we're at."

Sydney opened up scoring the game's first seven points before Adelaide settled with a Sunday Dech triple and then another from Tony Crocker. 

Keanu Pinder provided a spark too after Isaac Humphries collected two early fouls but then the Kings went on another run of scoring 13 points to two to be up 30-22 after one.

The Sixers were able to turn the tide to start the second quarter, though, and when Humphries converted a three-point play and Crocker made another long ball, they took the lead.

The 36ers extended that soon after again with Humphries and Crocker combining for a 7-0 run. Five late points from Dech kept the Sixers on top 51-48 at the long break too.

But the second half provided little for the 36ers to write home about with the Kings going on a 19-0 run at one stage in the third quarter which set the stage for their eventual 17-point triumph. 

2020/21 Hungry Jack's NBL Season - Round 6
NBL Cup Week 1

ADELAIDE 36ERS 77 (Crocker 15, Humphries 14, Dech 13) 

SYDNEY KINGS 94 (Ware 23, Vasiljevic 22, Kickert 11)

Points Awarded – Sydney Kings 6, Adelaide 36ers 1

Box Score