NBL 2014/15 Round 8: Kings complete comeback and steal road win from 36ers
The Sydney Kings have stormed to a 90-83 victory over the Adelaide 36ers in Adelaide. Trailing by 14 points at halftime, the Kings put together the largest comeback in a 40 minute game in NBL history to punctuate their place in the middle of the ladder. The 36ers fell to their fifth consecutive defeat and are now placed firmly at the lower end of the rankings.
Sydney received strong contributions from their role players as Kendrick Perry, Tom Garlepp and captain Ben Madgen all scored in double figures. Perry was especially effective, shooting 50%, grabbing 6 rebounds and also a season high 5 assists. Star import Josh Childress was held to just four points at halftime, however he turned on the gas in the second, scoring 17 to finish with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
For the 36ers, they were led by import guard Jamar Wilson who was instrumental in building a first half lead. Although he went AWOL in the third quarter, Wilson kept Adelaide competitive late in the piece, finishing with 24 points. Fellow stars Brock Motum and Adam Gibson both struggled, combining for 11 points on 3/15 shooting.
It was a game of two halves for the Kings, who struggled to put points on the board in the opening stanza. Kendrick Perry led the boys in yellow scoring 9 points as the Kings took the first quarter 17-13. Adelaide responded by coming out firing, Wilson got hot from behind the arc as they went on a 14-0 run. Wilson scored 17 points in what was to be the highest scoring quarter of the season (36). Going into halftime, Adelaide held a 49-35 point lead and had successfully held Childress to a season low 4 points.
The Kings opened the second half with a different swagger, knocking down jump shots and getting to the rim with ease. Childress, Tom Garlepp and Ben Madgen became relevant as they chipped away at the double digit lead. With Jamar Wilson not scoring a single point in the quarter, the deficit was cut to 5 heading into the final period. It was at this stage where you felt the game had tipped into Sydney's favor, with a quick look at the box score showing Adelaide shooting below 40% while the Kings were at 46%.
The fourth was hard to watch for 36er fans, as Sydney built on their confident play by busting out a 10-0 run to effectively end the game. The change in momentum was highlighted by a Josh Childress facial, where he drove baseline and turned Luke Schenscher into a poster. Jamar Wilson returned from his mid-game nap to score 7 points and keep the game close until the final whistle. With the Kings firing on all cylinders and the 36ers riding one, it was surprising this game was a close as it was.
A dejected Adelaide are left to get ready for their 'sunshine swing' next week and are in danger of being eliminated from playoff basketball. Sydney get somewhat of a reprieve next round, with an away game against the bottom placed Wollongong Hawks.
Adelaide 36ers 83 (Wilson 24, Teys 16, Schenscher 12)
Sydney Kings 90 (Childress 22, Perry 17, Madgen 14)