Xavier Cooks has burst to life as Sydney snapped a two-game NBL losing streak to douse Brisbane in a runaway 116-79 win.
The two-time championship winner and former league MVP made his first four shots and finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds as the Kings improved to 11-1 in their last 12 Brisbane clashes.
The forward’s free-flowing offence came as critics questioned his output alongside the Kings’ new-look back court of Matthew Dellavedova (seven assists) and Kendric Davis (19 points, seven assists).
And the 37-point thumping improved them to 4-5 after three losses from their last four games.
Xavier Cooks rises for the dunk.
Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Brisbane had dominated Cairns on the same home court two days earlier but looked out of answers on Saturday, earning just eight free throws in the contest.
Cooks powered a 35-17 first quarter as one of four Kings with at least seven points.
In contrast, only three Bullets scored at all in the first quarter, Casey Prather again shouldering the load to finish with 24 points on 10-of-15 field goals.
Brisbane steadied in the second quarter and eventually made a run after the main break, reducing the margin to six points.
But Kings coach Brian Goorjian called a timeout and in the blink of an eye the comeback was cancelled.
Kouat Noi (11 points, four rebounds, four assists) buried another triple to silence the crowd, Davis and Bul Kuol then following suit for a 23-point lead at the final break.
Brazilian big Tim Soares (19 points, six rebounds, three assists) made three-of-four triples to extend the Bullets’ defence.
The hosts managed just 13 points in a tepid final quarter but continued to leak points at the other end.
Dakota Mathias (16 points on seven-of-11 shooting) threatened to catch fire in his second game for Brisbane but the import guard was unable to get as involved in the Bullets’ offence as they required.
Brisbane guard Jaylen Adams had 13 points, three assists and a steal against his former team.
