Brian Goorjian has accomplished his mission to revitalise the Sydney Kings, who clinched their sixth NBL title with a 113-101 overtime defeat of Adelaide in the decisive fifth game of the championship series. Kings guard Kendric Davis (183-PG-1999, college: Memphis) was crowned championship series MVP for producing 35 points and 14 assists in front of an all-time NBL record crowd in Sydney on Easter Sunday. Bryce Cotton (182-G-1992, college: Providence, agency: Pensack Sports) led the 36ers with 35 points of his own in the final chapter of his fiery tit-for-tat with rival point guard Davis that had defined the gripping best-of-five series. The triumph sealed the Kings' first championship since their legendary former coach Goorjian returned with a mandate to reignite the glamour club last season. Goorjian had presided over three consecutive championship wins at the Kings in the early 2000s, when the league was in financial turmoil. Sunday's victory in front of 18,589 fans was an opportunity for the NBL master coach to reflect on just how much Australian basketball had grown since then. "When I walk around the township, and I've won before here, there's never been this interest," he said. "We had it going (in the early 2000s), but the league was in disarray. Right now, doing this, and what this series has done for the league is huge. "The strength of the NBL, there's a great base there, and I just think this series has added an enormous amount of respect from the other codes." The Sixers took a seven-point lead into the final change on Sunday and maintained their advantage until the last minute as they chased a fairytale first title since 2002. But it was a two-point game when Davis slotted one under the basket in the final 30 seconds, before a Tim Soares (211-C-1997, college: Master's) tip-in tied the scores at 95-95 with six seconds remaining. On the final possession of regulation time, Cotton drove to the basket but could not snatch victory for the Sixers as his last-second attempt missed. Davis set the tone, stealing from Cotton in the opening exchanges of overtime, before important 36ers big man Nick Rakocevic (211-F/C-1997, college: USC, agency: Slash Sports) fouled out by grabbing Soares under the basket on the possession that followed. The 36ers were on the back foot from there as frequent tormenter Davis added seven points in overtime. When Makuach Maluach (200-F/G-1998, college: N.Mexico) stole from Cotton and streaked away for a one-handed dunk in the final minute, the Kings had a game-high 13 point lead and were in sight of victory. Sydney had been fancied to win the championship for much of the season, especially after a record-breaking 44-point game-one win this series. But the 36ers clawed back to twice level the series, only to have their hearts broken on the biggest stage. Mike Wells, installed as coach last season to overhaul the club's on-field and off-field standards, said the game-five loss was devastating. "We probably had that game won for about 39 minutes and 16 seconds or something, unfortunately. That's why it's such gut punch," he said. " (But) I couldn't be more proud of the group and the way we competed, I think, all year."
Courtesy of: espn.com

Parker Jackson-Cartwright (180-PG-1995, college: Arizona) delivered 23 points in the second half and the New Zealand Breakers were on a mission and are now the first ever winners of the Ignite Cup by Disney+ after beating the Adelaide 36ers 111-107 on the Gold Coast. It was quite the occasion with the prize money and inaugural Ignite Cup trophy on the line at a sold out Gold Coast Convention Centre on Sunday. Whether it was wanting the extra money or winning a brand new trophy, the 36ers and Breakers threw everything at it and produced one of the games of the NBL season. It had it all too with no love lost between the two teams and there was a poster dunk from Carlin Davison (197-SF-2003) over both Isaac Humphries (216-C-1998, college: Kentucky) and Zylan Cheatham (203-F-1995, college: Arizona St.), while Cheatham had his own thunderous alley-oop. The stars fired too with Jackson Cartwright delivering 29 points and five assists for the Breakers and five-time MVP Bryce Cotton (182-G-1992, college: Providence, agency: Pensack Sports) 34 points and nine assists for the 36ers, but New Zealand fired when it mattered most with 64 points to 53 in the second half. Of those 64 points, 23 came from Jackson-Cartwright and after blowing match-winning positions this season already against the 36ers, the Breakers secured the win and to be the first ever Ignite Cup champions and the $300,000 in prize money. It wasn’t without quite the scare late and despite New Zealand leading by five with 10 seconds to go, the Sixers cut that to two with three free throws from Cheatham. Sam Mennenga (206-F-2001, college: Davidson) came up clutch with the sealing foul shots on his way to 21 points, four rebounds and three assists in his second match back from a fractured wrist suffered against Adelaide back on January 23. On top of the combined 50 points, eight assists and five rebounds from Jackson-Cartwright and Mennenga, Izaiah Brockington returned after sitting out on Thursday against Cairns for 21 points, three rebounds and two steals on 9/13 shooting. Reuben Te Rangi (198-F/G-1994) was in familiar surrounds on the Gold Coast and had 17 points and eight rebounds with Next Star Karim Lopez (202-G/F-2007) playing his last game in the NBL for 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals on 5/6 shooting. Adelaide will now turn their attention to the finals having finished the regular season in second place at 23-10 awaiting their Playoffs opponent. Cotton returned after being rested in Perth on Friday for 34 points and nine assists with 13/14 free-throw shooting while Cheatham added 21 points, four rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals. Nick Rakocevic (211-F/C-1997, college: USC, agency: Slash Sports) also had 21 points and 11 rebounds on 8/10 shooting but ultimately that trio didn’t get enough help to get the job done. It was a frantic start to the Ignite Cup Final and a couple of three balls from Karim Lopez and Reuben Te Rangi helped New Zealand to a narrow lead which they maintained heading into quarter-time. Te Rangi had 10 points and the Breakers were shooting 73 per cent from the field while hitting all four three-point attempts to be leading the Sixers 28-25 after one. Adelaide shot out of the blocks with the first nine points of the second quarter sparked by Bryce Cotton to open up a six-point lead, and they were able to convert that into the 54-47 half-time edge. That was on the back of 17 points and seven assists from Cotton and 15 points on 5/5 shooting from Cheatham, but the Breakers kept in touch with four players having at least nine points and none of those were Parker Jackson-Cartwright. It was New Zealand's turn to grab back the momentum to start the second half and they started it with a 10-2 run topped off with a triple from Jackson-Cartwright. However, just before three quarter-time it was the 36ers who grabbed back the momentum with a 13-3 run including three balls from Nick Rakocevic and DJ Vasiljevic to be up one heading into the fourth. Again the Breakers came out strongly with a 12-2 run sparked by Jackson-Cartwright and that saw their lead get out to as much as seven, and was still six with 45 seconds to play. The drama still was there especially when both Cotton and Cheatham made all three free throws after being fouled attempting a three ball in the dying stages, but four clutch Mennenga foul shots sealed the Ignite Cup by Disney+ triumph for the Breakers.
Courtesy of: nbl.com.au