The Sydney Kings have won their sixth NBL title with a dramatic 113-101 overtime defeat of the Adelaide 36ers in the decisive fifth game of the championship series.
Superstar Kings guard Kendric Davis starred with 35 points and 14 assists in front of an unprecedented NBL record crowd of 18,589 fans in Sydney on Easter Sunday.
The celebrations were briefly overshadowed by an awkward moment when the NBL Championship trophy broke as soon as Kings players hoisted it above their heads during ecstatic celebrations.
Basketball fans quickly took to social media to make fun of the moment, with some saying it made the league look ‘cheap’.
‘Even the trophy didn’t want to stay in Sydney,’ one Adelaide fan wrote.
The trophy is named after Dr John Raschke, considered the ‘father’ of the NBL.
He was instrumental in establishing the league and served as its chairman between 1979 and 1982, and stayed on as Commissioner until 1984.
On Sunday, Bryce Cotton led the 36ers with 35 points of his own in the final chapter of his fiery tit-for-tat with rival point guard Davis that had defined the gripping series.
Kendric Davis of the Sydney Kings acknowledged the crowd after he was awarded series MVP
Xavier Cooks of the Kings holds the NBL Championship trophy aloft after winning game five of the NBL Grand Final series between Sydney Kings and Adelaide 36ers at Qudos Bank Arena
A brief dampener on the celebrations was caused by the trophy snapping off when Kings players held it up
The Sixers took a seven-point lead into the final change and maintained their advantage until the last minute as they chased a fairytale first title since 2002.
But it was a two-point game when Davis slotted one under the basket in the final 30 seconds, before a Tim Soares tip-in tied the scores at 95-95 with six seconds remaining.
On the final possession of regulation time, Cotton drove to the basket but could not snatch victory for the Sixers with his last-second shot.
Davis set the tone, stealing from Cotton in the opening exchanges of overtime, before important 36ers big man Nick Rakocevic fouled out by grabbing Soares under the basket on the possession that followed.
The 36ers were on the back foot from there as frequent tormenter Davis added seven points in overtime.
When Makuach Maluach stole from Cotton and streaked away for a one-handed dunk in the final minute, the Kings had a game-high 13 point lead and were in sight of victory.
It was no surprise when Davis was named the series’ most valuable player.
It was his first NBL Championship and he was overcome with emotion and seemed lost for words during his post-match interview.
Davis was lost for words in a post-match interview after leading the Kings to victory
A broken NBL Championship trophy is seen after game five
The Kings celebrate with the damaged trophy follow their win over the Adelaide 36ers
The win marks the Kings’ first championship since their legendary former coach Brian Goorjian returned with a mandate to revitalise the glamour club last season.
The Kings had been fancied to win the championship for much of the season, especially after a record-breaking 44-point game-one win this series.
But the 36ers clawed back to twice level the series, only to have their hearts broken on the biggest stage.
