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📻 IMPORTANT AUCKLAND UPDATE 📻
Killer Kings serve up a right royal belting to Breakers
Chris Pike, AAP •  January 10th, 2026 12:32 am
Matthew Dellavedova outpaces NZ Breakers point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright | Photo: Jason Oxenham/AAP
No Xavier Cooks, no Bul Kuol and no worries for the Sydney Kings, who dominated at both ends to embarrass the New Zealand Breakers on their home floor, winning 103-62.
The Kings arrived at Auckland's Spark Arena on Friday without two of their most important players - defensive menace Kuol (knee) and former league MVP Cooks (ankle) - and coming off two straight losses to be just clinging to fourth spot on the NBL ladder.
What they delivered was a complete domination of the Breakers, winning by 41 points, with the second quarter summing up the contest.
New Zealand went more than six minutes without scoring, while either side of quarter-time Sydney went on a 22-0 run before outscoring the Breakers 27-4 to be leading by 29 points at halftime.
In the second quarter, the Breakers scored just four points while shooting 2-of-20 from the field, including missing all 10 three-point attempts.
They also didn't get up a single free-throw, while coughing up seven turnovers.
There was no mercy from the Kings in the second half either as they cruised to the 41-point win to improve to 14-9 and close in on the third-placed Melbourne United (15-9), who they host on Sunday.
After the match, New Zealand coach Petteri Koponen apologised for his team's performance.
"First thing we have to say is sorry and apologise to our fans tonight for how we looked," he said.
Breakers coach Petteri Koponen apologised after the match for his team's effort | Photo: Jason Oxenham/AAP
"I think it was the first time this season we weren't competitive and we couldn't find any solutions, they packed the paint and forced us to take shots outside and it wasn't our night.
"Then we let that affect us at the defensive end and it got ugly."
Kouat Noi already had 13 points and six rebounds in the first half for Sydney to set the tone on his way to 18 and seven for the game, with Tim Soares also standing tall in the absence of Cooks for 15 points, seven rebounds and two steals.
Tyler Robertson moved into the starting five for 14 points with 4-of-7 three-point shooting. Jaylin Galloway contributed 16 points and seven rebounds, Makuach Maluach 15 points and seven boards, and Kendric Davis largely took a back seat with 10 points and seven assists.
Kings guard Kendric Davis looks for a way past the Breakers' Izaiah Brockington | Photo: Jason Oxenham/AAP
Kings coach Brian Goorjian said he couldn't remember being involved in a second quarter quite like that one.
"I don't think in my coaching career I've had a quarter like that, ever," he said.
"I did not look up there (at the scoreboard) until the end of the quarter and we were up 29 points, and when I walked in the assistant said we held them to four, and that lock-in we had was the catalyst to what happened."
With their season prospects slipping away for New Zealand (8-15), there was precious little to like as they shot 34 per cent while going 6-of-37 from downtown and only having 10 free-throw attempts.
Next Star Karim Lopez top-scored with 11 points and five rebounds, with Izaiah Brockington adding 10 points.
Gun point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright highlighted their woes with three points and four turnovers with 1-of-9 shooting.
