Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Torrey Craig has put on a show for the Sydney Kings, who replaced Perth in top spot on the NBL ladder after thumping the Wildcats 102-81.
Craig paired 26 points with 12 rebounds at Sydney’s Afterpay Arena on Saturday night, while fellow import Kendric Davis posted 23 points and eight assists.
Rat-tailed bench energiser Will Johnston scored a career-best 17 points as the Kings snapped a two-game losing streak and swapped table positions with the Wildcats, who dropped to third as their three-game winning run ended.
Dylan Windler finished with 19 points, eight boards and eight assists for Perth, while fellow American Jimmy Whitt added 15 off the bench.
“They’re one of the great offensive rebounding teams, so if we could get the glass, we felt like we could run on them,” Sydney coach Brian Goorjian said, noting his side’s 48-37 advantage on the boards.
“Our best thing is pace.
“That was definitely a focus.”
Davis hit two pull-up jumpers inside the first 20 seconds and ran the floor with aplomb.
At the other end, the Wildcats, who were without injured star import Kristian Doolittle (foot), became plagued by turnovers early as the Kings marched ahead 31-21 at quarter-time.
Their advantage blew out to 16 points in the second term, before Windler piloted an 11-0 rush to reduce the gap to 48-43.
Amid that flurry, Davis received a technical foul for flopping, which Sydney wanted to challenge, only to be informed technicals cannot be reviewed.
Perth closed the margin further to 55-51 before the reigning champions reasserted their authority, Johnston banking a running three-pointer on the three-quarter-time siren to make it 76-63.
Whitt, with a succession of jumpers and some hard-nosed defence on Davis, closed the gap to 84-77, before the Kings went on a tear down the stretch.
Craig put a bow on his fine evening by blocking Elijah Pepper’s late three-point attempt, then swishing a bomb from beyond halfway on the full-time siren, before celebrating with club owner Paul Smith in the front row.
“We did a good job to keep the differential to nine at halftime, then they wear you down in those moments,” Wildcats coach John Rillie said.
“We just didn’t handle those throughout the game.”
