"Like an NBA game": Crowd becomes Kings' weapon

Brian Goorjian isn’t hiding how bullish he is on this Sydney Kings group right now.

With Torrey Craig making an immediate impact, Xavier Cooks back on the floor, Matthew Dellavedova edging closer to a return, and a roaring home crowd behind them, the Kings are starting to look dangerous in more ways than one.

Sydney strengthened their top two credentials with a third win this season over the Adelaide 36ers, led by Craig’s 26 points and six three pointers. Kendric Davis starred with 20 points and 14 assists, while Cooks’ successful return added another dimension to an already loaded lineup.

But for Goorjian, the stats weren’t the biggest takeaway.

A crowd of 16,846 filled Qudos Bank Arena, the fifth largest attendance in NBL history, on a special Pink Hoops Game in support of the McGrath Foundation, held in memory of the late Tiana Mangakahia.

More than anything, it highlighted how strongly the city of Sydney has embraced this Kings team.

Goorjian admitted he did not feel that same connection last season. Now, he believes it could become Sydney’s edge heading into NBL26.

“What really hit was when you step out the door and the environment, playing here and having 16,000 people here and it was like an NBA game to me as far as a spectacle,” Goorjian said.

For the Kings, that atmosphere might just be their most powerful weapon yet.

“The support for the team, we didn’t move to this ilk last year and I just feel like there's an energy in the stadium about the guys.”

After seeing it first hand across the NBL, Goorjian says Sydney has now joined that upper tier of home court environments.

“You travel around and you're going to these places and you go to Melbourne and it's packed, and there's an energy in the gym, you go to Adelaide and you can't hear in there, and now you come here and this is a whole 'nother level.

“I'm sorry, there's 16,000 people not five or 10, there's 16,000 people and they're instrumental in us working our arse off to get in the best possible position so we can play at home, and the guys can feel it and they know the importance because they're playing in it.

“I haven't been in a gym with more energy than there was tonight for us.”

On the floor, Cooks returned after missing four games, while the loss of Bul Kuol to an ACL injury has been offset by the arrival of Craig, a 538-game NBA veteran and former NBL Best Defensive Player.

Craig was outstanding at both ends in just his second game, finishing with 26 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals, while shooting 6 of 8 from three point range.

“The plusses for us were that we're starting to get some bodies back and what Torrey did and for them (our front office) getting the right piece and the work that they did to do this,” Goorjian said.

"Then with his name coming up and checking the background and seeing that this is quality, and now even though he hasn’t totally got his legs yet, it's only going to get better and we don't win that (game) without him, he's a major piece now for us moving forward.

"On the defensive side of the floor, it was very much like when we had Bul and now we've got Watch (Makuah Maluach), (Jaylin) Galloway and Torrey is like Bul as far as physicality and length, and it's just another piece to help us.

"I love Torrey on the defensive end of the floor."