Kings 78 Wildcats 74
The Sydney Kings made history on Thursday night, ending a 16-game losing streak to the Perth Wildcats in a nailbiting four-point victory.
Twinkle toes: Cody Ellis of the Kings drives to the basket. Photo: Getty Images
The win enhanced the Kings' reputation as a formidable force on their home turf, having now deposed the league's three powerhouses ��� the Cairns Taipans, the New Zealand Breakers and now the Wildcats ��� in successive games at the Kingdome.
Victory was always going to be a massive task, with the weight of history overwhelmingly favouring the Western Australians. The Wildcats had won their previous 16 consecutive encounters against the purple and yellow by an average margin of 17 points in a winning streak dating back to 2010.
Purple reign: Kings star Josh Childress rises to the challenge against the Wildcats. Photo: Getty Images
Coach Damian Cotter praised his team's composure and thanked fans for sticking with the Kings through the 16-game dry spell. "I'm proud," he said. "Perth are arguably the greatest club. I think when the league is so tight it's important to defend home court. We starting to find our identity as a group."
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Kendrick Perry opened fire for the Kings, sinking a three-pointer in the first minute of the game. This triggered a flurry of points for the homeside, with Ben Madgen and Josh Childress finding the net in rapid succession. But a lapse in concentration saw the Kings squander a 10-point lead, as the Wildcats quickly levelled the scores. Successful conversions at the foul line put the Kings back in front, and they closed out the first term 18-14.
Scrappy play resulting in easy turnovers continued into the second term, with neither side finding much of the net in the opening minutes. But stout defence by the Kings left the Wildcats looking stunned up front, and a number of thwarted offensive plays gave Sydney the momentum. Two dazzling three-pointers from Jason Cadee shored up Sydney's control of the game, and the Kings raced away to a 15-point lead.
With a 14-point lead going into the final quarter, the visitors recovered some momentum, and closed the gap to just three points with three minutes left on the clock.
A timely three-pointer from Madgen gave the Kings some breathing space before Perth retaliated with their own moments later.
With tensions on a knife edge, Cotter called a timeout with a minute on the clock. The break favoured the Kings with Perth missing two free throws, while Childress nailed a field goal with 20 seconds remaining. With the crowd on the edge of their seat, the Kings ran down the clock, sealing the historic victory by four points.