Key Highlights
- Sydney Kings dominated in a 122-104 victory against the Illawarra Hawks.
- Kendric Davis led the Kings with 22 points and nine assists.
- Tim Soares scored 23 from deep, hitting five of his six attempts.
- Matthew Dellavedova returned after a three-game absence due to concussion.
The Sydney Kings Reign in Ruthless Display
Sydney’s sixth-straight win has lifted them inside the top-two for the first time this NBL season, leaving arch-rivals Illawarra in limbo. The Kings were never seriously tested as they smashed the Hawks for the third time this season, showing little sympathy as they posted a monster 122-104 victory at Qudos Bank Arena.
Seven Kings were able to hit double digits on the scoreboard as they flexed their championship credentials, the 10th time they’ve cracked the century on the year and their biggest score of NBL 26. Watch live coverage of NBL and WNBL 2025-26 seasons with ESPN on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
Dynamic Point Guard Leads Charge
And Kendric Davis, the dynamic point guard, dropped 22 points (5-8 FG) and nine assists. Big man Tim Soares was unstoppable from deep, hitting five of his six attempts to score 23. Tyler Harvey was the only Hawk to show some resistance, leading all scorers with 25 points (7-12 FG).
Return of Matthew Dellavedova
But the story wasn’t just about scoring. After sitting out three games following a sickening concussion against Melbourne United, Matthew Dellavedova was a welcome sight back on the floor. Entering the contest in the first few minutes, the NBA champion immediately took the defensive assignment of Tyler Harvey, giving away an early offensive foul when trying to back the import down.
Mike Wellis: “That crossed the line!” | 00:42 A near seven minute stint to start saw him run the floor while Kendric Davis was off, picking up two assists and a steal to help the Kings to a 28-22 first quarter lead. He was able to punch out 20 minutes in his return, dishing out seven assists in the process.
Second Quarter Struggles for Hawks
The second triple of the quarter from Tim Soares, where the Brazilian was left wide open, forced an early time-out in the third quarter from Justin Tatum. He didn’t mince words, calling out the lack of effort from his players as Sydney’s lead blew out to 25 in an instant.
They got the message loud and clear, fighting out the rest of the term and somewhat stalling the Kings to cut it back to 17 heading into the fourth. But it was too little, too late for Illawarra, who led for the length of the shot clock as they suffered their 17th defeat of the season, leaving their title defence on life support.
With a tough run home, they’ll need to pull out something special over the next six games, five of those against higher-ranked opponents, to steal sixth spot. The writing is on the wall for the Hawks if they can’t get their act together soon.