Steve Barrett
The Sydney Kings have made a great start to their NBL title defence, thumping the Cairns Taipans 111-90.
Superstar guard Kendric Davis, last season’s grand final MVP, starred with 26 points and six assists at Sydney’s Afterpay Arena on Sunday.
Skipper Xavier Cooks added 18 points as seven Kings posted double-digit scores.
Keanu Pinder was comfortably the Taipans’ standout, scoring 27 points at 65 per cent in his return to the league.
Cairns scoring machine Jack McVeigh was held to a paltry seven points, which was pivotal in the final result.
Pinder was everywhere early as Cairns, one of last season’s stragglers, ambushed the reigning champions with a 14-8 start. But once the Kings awoke from their early slumber, they were always going to be difficult to contain.
Sydney pulled ahead 32-26 at quarter time and maintained that margin when they led 59-53 at the long break, with Davis influential and new import centre Andrew Carr efficient.
The Snakes, living and dying from the perimeter, closed the gap to 69-65, before being dominated late.
Davis, Matthew Dellavedova, Makuach Maluach and first-gamer Will Johnston caught fire from outside as Sydney went on a 13-2 run and led 90-73 at three-quarter time, with Shaun Bruce waging a lone vigil for the visitors by that stage.
With Davis, Cooks and Torrey Craig continuing to fire in the final term for the Kings, the margin swelled past the 20-point mark to ensure the reigning premiers began their campaign with a win.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s three-headed monster put on a show as the Breakers kicked off their NBL season with a clinical 95-81 victory over the Illawarra Hawks.
Expected to be one of the competition’s improvers, the Breakers were barely troubled in their win at Auckland’s Spark Arena on Sunday.
Big Sam Mennenga ruled the paint, posting 27 points and eight rebounds, prize off-season recruit Dejan Vasiljevic scored 24 points – including 6-of-10 three-pointers – and captain Parker Jackson-Cartwright paired 23 points with 13 assists.
AAP
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