Starting 5: The key talking points from Round 20

Round 20 saw Sydney and Perth continue to surge, while other Finals-bound sides suffered mixed results.

Pete Hooley looks at some key talking points from the round just gone.

1 – Tempers flare

It was one of the most anticipated games of the season between the two hottest teams in the league and it didn’t disappoint. The previous game between the Kings and Phoenix had multiple moments where emotions ran high and everything threatened to boil over. As expected on Sunday, it all tipped over the edge with multiple reviews and technical fouls as these two teams pushed each other to the limits. While the result ended up in a one-sided affair, the majority of NBL fans are sitting back and hoping to see a post-season series between these two.

2 – Kings’ reign

In terms of the actual basketball side of this game, the Kings flexed their muscles late and ran out big winners on the Phoenix’s home court. Led by Kendric Davis once again, Brian Goorjian’s team showed their depth and sent a message to the rest of the competition. The Phoenix missed 32 three-point attempts, which is the most in franchise history and Sydney put up 114 points, while only making six threes themselves. As we approach the business end of the season, it’s clear that Sydney has peaked at the right time.

3 - Culture above all

The Tasmania JackJumpers are limping to the end of the season, literally, with multiple season ending injuries to key stars in recent weeks. With all the adversity they’re facing, they stuck to their culture and game style to have a historic performance on Friday night. The JackJumpers scored a franchise best 114 points, to give themselves the biggest ever win in club history by 44 points. Nick Marshall was the standout, dropping a career-high 31 points, missing just one shot in the game.

4 – Turning point for Adelaide

After Adelaide squandered a 16-point lead in Illawarra that dropped them out of top spot, they couldn’t have delivered a better response in Melbourne two days later. While Nick Rakocevic had his most dominant game of the season, it was Zylan Cheatham who set the tone in this game and came out strong from the opening tip. At this point of the season, Adelaide will take any win it can get, as its recent slump looked like forcing them out of the top two altogether. That big win over Melbourne should be enough to cement the 36ers' position and have them avoid the Play-In game, which history tells us gives them the best chance to win a championship.

5- Brockington buckets

With Karim Lopez the latest star Breaker sidelined, it’s been Izaiah Brockington who has turned into one of the most damaging scorers in the entire league over the last eight games. The dynamic combo guard had 27 points in a big win against the Hawks and looked unstoppable early in the first quarter. When Illawarra went on a run, it was Brockington and Parker Jackson-Cartwright who answered with big plays down the stretch. While the Breakers can still make an unlikely push for the top six, it seems the rest of this team is getting primed for the Ignite Cup final and a chance to win $300,000.