Kings with comeback OT win over 36ers

The Sydney Kings continue to rise to the challenge against the NBL's top teams with Kendric Davis and Xavier Cooks combining for 54 points as they came from 18 points down to beat the Adelaide 36ers 97-93 in overtime in Canberra.

The Kings came into the clash at the AIS Arena out of the running for the Ignite Cup by Disney+, but fresh off a second win in Melbourne over United for the season as they took on the league-leading 36ers.

The Sixers dominated the first half with Bryce Cotton and DJ Vasiljevic on fire with the ladder leaders up by as much as 18 and leading 56-43 at the half.

Sydney then held Adelaide to just nine points in the third quarter and then in the extra period after scores were locked at 85-85 at the end of regulation, the Kings got the job done for the four-point win to improve to 10-7 on the season.

Kendric Davis forced the extra period when he snaked through all five Adelaide players for a coast-to-coast layup after an Isaac White free throw had put the Sixers up by two before he missed the second.

Then in overtime, Davis and Matthew Dellavedova came up with a series of big plays as Sydney won in overtime for the second time in four days after Sunday's win over Melbourne.

Davis continued his hot form to finish with 27 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals for the Kings despite 10/25 field goal shooting and going 2/10 from the stripe.

Xavier Cooks also had a season-best 27 points with eight rebounds, four blocks and two assists on 12/19 shooting with Dellavedova adding 12 points and seven assists, and Tim Soares nine points and three rebounds.

Bryce Cotton once again led the way for Adelaide with 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and three steals while DJ Vasiljevic cooked with 11 first-quarter points in just five minutes off the bench but only added three more.

Flynn Cameron had 15 points and five rebounds, Troy Brown Jr 10 points, five boards, five assists and two steals, and Zylan Cheatham nine points, 13 rebounds and three assists.

Isaac Humphries only played 18:50 through foul trouble for 10 points and four rebounds with coach Mike Wells electing to go small a lot of the second half and overtime in the absence of the suspended Nick Rakocevic.

Cotton produced a steal and rare breakaway dunk late in the opening term, at the end of which Adelaide led 29-23.

Cotton broke free of Bul Kuol's defensive shackles to dominate the second period, scoring 13 for the term for an 18-point first half.

The 36ers' lead ballooned to 52-34 on Vasiljevic's third three and the Sixers' 24-12 rebounding advantage - including 8-2 on the offensive glass - was killing Sydney.

Davis, with 16 first-half points, almost single-handedly kept the Kings from complete humiliation as Adelaide went to halftime well ahead at 56-43 with a blowout brewing.

But the Kings came out breathing defensive fire after the break, forcing the 36ers into repeated missed shots, turnovers and clunky, hurried possessions.

Sydney flipped the script emphatically, winning the quarter 23-9 to move ahead 66-65 at three quarter-time before Davis saved his side at the end of a gripping fourth stanza.

The 36ers remain on the road to take on the Illawarra Hawks on Saturday while the Kings return to Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday for the first time since November 9 to host the Cairns Taipans.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26 – IGNITE CUP PRESENTED BY DISNEY+

SYDNEY KINGS 97 (Cooks 27, Davis 27, Dellavedova 12)

ADELAIDE 36ERS 93 (Cotton 25, Cameron 15, Vasiljevic 14)

BOX SCORE