NBL23: Sydney Kings claim second consecutive championship after comeback victory over New Zealand Breakers

Inspired performances from Angus Glover and Derrick Walton Jnr have led the Sydney Kings to their second-straight title after a come-from-behind win over the Breakers. Catch up with all the action.

Xavier Cooks came up big in the final quarter as the Kings claimed Game 5. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

As a famous man famously said, the winner is Sydney.

And, as it was when Juan Antonio Samaranch announced the host city of the Games of the 2000 Olympiad, so it was at Qudos Bank Arena on Wednesday night when the Sydney Kings stormed home over New Zealand Breakers 77-69 in the deciding game five of the NBA’s 2023 Championship Series.

It was some game. Some entertainment. And some win over a Breakers side that was undaunted, skilful and full of hard-nosed basketball players who left nothing on the court but sweat and skin.

Mainly it was fabulous entertainment. As the League MVP Xavier Cooks said on the presentation dais. “What a f***ing spectacle!”

DJ’s bass beats bounced about. The decibel level was off the charts.

And the sold out, all-time NBL record crowd of 18,124 rode every play.

Angus Glover pushed through the pain barrier during an inspired performance. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

“What a game,” Kings coach Chase Buford said in the post-match press conference. “Full credit to [Breakers coach] Mody [Maor] and his crew. New Zealand was terrific this whole series, this whole season.

“Like the Cairns series - we got hot and won the last few minutes of the game. In game five - that was the only difference.”

The Breakers led by 11 after one quarter and by three at half-time. At three-quarter time it was 56-all.

The game turned with the Kings down by seven points in the final quarter. A stunning stretch of 18-3 killed off the Breakers and was punctuated by an inspirational play by Angus Glover who, clutching a rib injury, hit the sideboard with a three-point shot, took the rebound and drove in to dunk it.

And the roof of Qudos Bank Arena just about came off.

“You guys see that and glorify stuff like that,” series MVP Derrick Walton Jnr said. “I been seeing that from almost August.

“I seen what type of guy he was. Very much a team first guy. Every day, day in, day out; more service [than] anybody.”

Walton Jnr was named player of the match. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

The Kings shooting was off. Shots that had swished in during the regular season as they recorded so many double-figure victories bounced out.

When Walton Jnr was tripped attempting a lay-up, Kings owners Andrew Bogut and Paul Smith nearly stormed the court.

Then Cooks (19 points, 11 rebounds) the best player in a league with affectations as the world’s second-best after the NBA, did what he’d done all season: own it.

He tipped in for two. He drove for another couple. He began the third quarter with a mighty drive and dunk.

Kouat Noi (11 points) made a strong lay-up and faced the crowd all the way down the court, nodding to the people and smiling his very head off.

And after three sweaty, noisy, passionate periods, it was tied up.

And into the roiling, cruel sea of the final 10 minutes we went.

Jarrell Brantley was on fire for the Breakers but the Kings proved too good in the end. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Noi made a three for Sydney. Jarrell Brantley - who later interrupted the post-match press conference to profess his love for coach Maor - made three for New Zealand. Glover followed up his dunk with a three that again raised the roof.

It was raining threes, if not men.

Then Buford ordered Walton Jnr to get his hands on the ball. Passes hit their marks. Nets swished. And the Kings became the ninth NBL franchise to win back-to-back championships.

Yes, the winner was Sydney. But Australian basketball, too.

“What a game,” Buford said. “What a series. What an advertisement for the NBL and basketball in Australia.

“It was a heck of a game.”

Originally published as NBL23: Sydney Kings claim second consecutive championship after comeback victory over New Zealand Breakers