NZB and SYD are both at even money now to win the title, although I feel more confident now after reading the 25 of 26 stat.

Loving the parity, too many Grand Final series (yes NBL, that's what it's called) have been one sided after the home team take Game 1.

Let's go Australia's Team. #AnyoneButSydney

Do Sydney rest Cooks and Walton jr and try and pinch it, or take the chance of losing but have them ready to go next Friday and try win three straight.

History's already been thrown out the window in this series with an away team winning game 1.

For Sydney to win, Cooks needs to bring his MVP form.

For Sydney to win, they need a much better defensive plan and execution that gets them stops and opportunities in transition. Walton, Cooks and Simon are very hard to stop in the open floor. If New Zealand make them play mostly half court again, it will be 2-0.

I was going to tip Sydney but with Walton most likely being out then I'll have to tip the Breakers at home.

Not liking what I’m seeing from Sydney. Hopefully karma gets the Kings, because any teams that usually tank in the last round don’t win the NBL finals.

I think Walton only had cramp last week in which case should be fine for tonight. Either he or cooks needs to step up big time otherwise they'll be going home down two

Looking forward to a pretty hostile atmosphere at spark arena tonight!

Breakers by five

"Looking forward to a pretty hostile atmosphere at spark arena tonight!"

Why would it be a hostile atmosphere? This is the Sydney Kings you're talking about!

Oh, wait a minute...

Can I be hostile from home? Will that count?

:D

Refs think the game is in Sydney the way calls are going

Great to see tough defense, but some inconsistent calls hurting Breakers

Breakers got make free throws or they'll be history

HT NZB 30-34 SYD

Good comeback by NZ after a disastrous first quarter.

Both sides showing nerves, quality game though, tough uncompromising. Refs doing ok, few calls kings way imo though. Noi and Vasilavic doing well for kings. Brantley and Pardon so tough for breakers. Abercrombie is so structurally important for breakers, still fantastic though his shot has left him a bit.

Justin Simon damn.

Mordi doing some old school coaching - give em the fn ball 3 times of course they are going to run.

Breakers need to keep composed

Brown and Noi never met a shot they didn't like. There’s confidence and there’s stupidity. Sometimes it works. Today is Noi’s day.

Kings bench really standing up, Noi, Bruce, Glover plus Simon outstanding. NZ playing dumb and feeling the pressure. Fouls not helping breakers either. Long way back now.

You nailed it, DM

This is unraveling for NZ...

Breakers playing like they're very tired

Offensive masterclass from NZ

Some awful shot selection by both teams, way too early and without offence even beginning.

Breakers should be embarrassed, completely shit the bed.

Are both teams feeling the (external) pressure? Just started watching. Feels like they're not really focused on the moment.
Some big drives obviously looking for fouls.

I'll call it early, this games done. I said previously, kings were better going without Cooks and Walton jr and pinching it.

Sigh.

Jordan Hunter looking really committed. Is he under-utilised?

Im expecting Breakers are just going to take it to the rim all this 4th quarter and will probably get looked after handsomely I'm guessing

Also I reckon Breakers steal this. They'll get heaps of FTs this quarter

All time boil over

Hunter just proves the Kings depth. Barely used vs Cairns but playing major role in this series

Wow. Kings did up their intensity but NZ emphatically s*** the bed.

Brown doing his best to help Kings. Playing like an import desperate to impress and doing the opposite.

Play your bench, Breakers - you're not winning this, and you cannot afford the injuries.

"Play your bench, Breakers"

Realistically, their bench isn't going to win them anything though. All their bench players basically just sit on the perimeter and catch and shoot. Abercrombie, Vodanovic, Gliddon, Rupert and Loe can't really create their own shot..they're catch and shoot players. If anything I'd play some of those guys less.

Simon has been incredible

Gliddon, Abercrombie, Loe and Rupert a combined 0-9 from 3.

Agree MACDUB - I have no expectations that Breakers will win this one no matter who's on, so why not throw it away and save your stars

Barry Brown's shoes are illegal.

I'd be more worried about his Bball IQ after this one...

Buford has proved he can coach and adjust his structures to win
Sydney bench is fantastic
Bruce who probably earns less than 100k makes Mccaron look average, sorry Sixers fans.
Glover plus 11 surely hawks should chase him hard.
Hunter so good when given opportunity plus 11, cats fans would love him, sorry cats fans.
Noi plus 15 played well
Galloway plus 10
Simon said he wants a championship and he's proving it.

Breakers brave but just couldn’t get into a rhythm, kings going to the line so much more doesn’t help, 19 to 34 kings way. Brantley, Pardon, Loe getting into trouble certainly doesn’t help. To much iso from Brown though breakers we’re chasing game.

At lest it’ll be a four game series, can’t see anything but kings from here though, and like Perth in the old days get all 55/50 calls or even more.

^^^ foul trouble.

Kings just seemed to play with more energy, confidence and composure. Breakers offence in the second half seemed too static and one-dimensional, with only one real threat happening at a time (so easy to stop!!!).

I'm confident that Breakers will fight back in the next game, but their offense needs a bit more variety to be effective.

One of the most impressive Kings wins in team history. No matter how far the lead pushed it out it always felt about 2-3 mins of competent Breakers play was all that was needed to claw back. Thankfully for us it came too late.

Bruce/Noi/Galloway/Glover/Hunter and even DJ have all had great stretches this season and other stretches where it felt like we stuck with them to the detriment of the game/team - Galloway in the Cairns series most recently, but all the other guys have had rough patches mixed in with the good ones and the faith showed in those players during those stretches was rewarded tonight.

I don't think the tweaks made by the Kings were too dramatic on the defensive end but combined with an uptick in effort (and individual brilliance by Simon) it was enough to disrupt the Breakers and give us a chance. I expect the Breakers will now make the adjustments they need however and will put up a much tougher contest on Friday, regardless of whether Cooks/Walton Jr are 100%.

Full credit to the Kings undermanned and just completely shut the Breakers down, they never really looked in it. Also full credit to Noi who has always looked a bit lacking in the ticker department but he did a great job filling in for Cooks.

"Barry Brown's shoes are illegal."


Reckon he'll serve time?

Kings adjusted to WMW getting to the paint a lot better, the screeners never got out to open the key for him, when he did they closed him down and out further quicker.

"Barry Brown's shoes are illegal."


Reckon he'll serve time?

Breakers simply choked big time. They had the opportunity after a bad 1st quarter to get some momentum but missed a number of shots and played timid. That stretch that Simon's went nuts defensively just really took the air out of the game. WMW just sucked and had a bad one today, no-one stepped up to make up for his struggles. And that hurt Pardon offensively not getting setup off the penetration. But credit due to the King's, came out with nothing to lose, could have just put cues in the rack and waited for game 3 but took opportunity of Breakers confusion.

KB, what's the go with Brown's shoes?

One was orange, one was blue.

One was orange, one was blue.

Well then. He needs to be suspended and never allowed back into Australia or New Zealand.

Manu, you should've known better than to ask.

Doesn't that happen a bit now, Vasilavic wore different coloured shoes I believe not that long ago.

It's just another day on Hoops, where we tackle the major issues of the NBL.

A rule's a rule.

Credit to the Kings and Buford, they came out with intensity and put the Breakers on the backfoot from the get go.

On the bright side I don't think NZ could have shot any worse and been any more careless with the ball so hopefully they can pick their heads up and go over to Sydney and try and get another W.