The Sydney Kings have won back-to-back NBL titles defeating the New Zealand Breakers 77-69 in a fifth and final game of the Championship series on Wednesday.
The NBL’s most consistent team throughout the regular season after finishing top with 19 wins and 9 losses, the Kings were simply too strong for the Breakers when it mattered.
With the sides trading wins throughout the series after the Breakers took the opening game, the Kings roared back late in the decider with an 18-3 run to clinch the title.
Derrick Walton Jr claimed series MVP honours with the guard notching 21 points and six assists in game five while NBA-bound forward Xavier Cooks chipped in with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
"Yuuuuuuuup" 😆
— NBL (@NBL) March 15, 2023
Derrick Walton Jr is stoked with the Kings' title win 🥳 pic.twitter.com/1sU4HF02fq
Having come from behind to win the Championship series, Kings coach Chase Buford credited his players for dragging the team over the line.
"Last year was kind of a crescendo towards the end, this was a grind, this whole year," Buford said post-match.
"We started the year pretty well and then we had a little lull towards the end and I was wondering if we were ever going to find ourselves again.
"Three games out of the five-game series, these guys found a way to drag us across the line."
For the Breakers, they’ll be disappointed to lose game after scores were tied at the end of the third quarter.
New Zealand bench spark Barry Brown Jr led all scorers with 22 points while forward Jarrell Brantley notched 16 points and four rebounds.
The game was played in front of a record crowd of 18,124 at Qudos Bank Arena.
The Kings have now won five championships having saluted in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2022 and now 2023.