Well, should be an entertaining one regardless of result.

Would be great if the Sixers can get a record number of rejects on Randle maybe making him shoot over Creek on the outside and everyone in the paint. Sobey to fly! Crowd and I would love it!

Hopefully Sixers can get the run and gun transition game happening again but also shoot well from range. Love to see Drmic hit a good shooting spell and Creeky to launch a few without hesitating.

Teys and Doyle hopefully to contribute from a seated position.

On free to air at Viceland at 5pm. Will record it to watch again after the game.

Sixers by a small margin!

I sense an upset and will go with Sydney in this one

Kings by 8.

All will be right with the world again.

I predict Randle will either drop 50, or shoot 7/40. Maybe both.

I hope the Kings lose every game for the rest of the season and I've been a Kings fan since inception. Maybe then someone will see sense and replace the coach and hopefully the General barely Manager

36ers easily

I just feel like Sydney will get a good start and with their superior body language (c'mon you can't argue there, 36ers have been terrible in November) they will run away with this game on the back of Brad Newley having his best game on the season.

Kings by 15+ and Tyler to prove some doubters wrong and be an absolute beast.

36ers to argue with each other again... surely there is a market going on that

Both teams have to deny opposing's transition offence. In the half-court, Sixers have to shut down Sydney's perimeter game while the Kings have to pack the paint.

Garlepp has to be utilised more in this game as Singh won't be able to cope with the pace. Tyler is an interesting watch, will he lose it or will he shuts up & adjust?

Randle did have a good game in his debut 28p, 9r, 5a on 11-25 shooting inc 5-10 3pt.

However he was at one point 8-23 from the field, he made his last two shots which improved his overall percentage to something respectable.

Wow Blanchfield made a shot

2 BS calls on Tyler already.

They're ganging up on Tyler again, the refs

Not sure how Tyler can avoid fouls short of keeping his arms by his side and walking away from his opposite number.

Blanchfield has his 1 3pt shot of the game, sit him on the bench before he misses his next 10.

lol @ Homicide...

Would love to know why that's not a foul on Humphries re: the Drmic drive versus the other crap they've called tonight.

Would love to know what Blanchfield's pep talk was to Pinea right there... "Good minutes Dane, but you really need more turnovers in the backcourt and some bricked 3s if you want to make it in this league".

Ahh, the classic BS charging call when a big dude hits a littler dude.

Oh man, I'll say it yet again. The way they're treating Tyler is ridiculous

The charge by Tyler, he literally did the same thing that Creek did down the other end with the hop step into contact, but because Deng weighs 40kgs and is bowled over, instant charge call.

I was being naive when I said Tyler would be the most dominant bigman the league has seen in a long time. Should be known better

Should've

Ellis should've walked the opposite direction there, or hit the ground and played dead.

60 points on the board all ready and only half time.

29 fouls in 20 minutes.

I'm all for officiating in such a way that breaks trends/sets positive new trends, but I just don't know what to think

Can't believe I'm saying this but I'll be watching the rugby league second half over this crap

Getting bored this season by all the ridiculously soft fouls.

Authorities need to look into Blanchfield's betting habits the way he's played this year.

Let's see if Tyler can get one more highlight before fouling out on a shot contest.

Might wanna look into Gaze's as well AngusH, surely you can't be that bad? Hang on...

I got back late and just started watching start of 4th qtr looks bad huh?

Ah well, didn't get the highlight. Maybe next week.

Tyler's a spud not a stud.

Randle is still our best player.

Good call on Perry there against Creek, Perry was definitely within 3 meters.

Homicide was an absolute embarrassment for that entire call. Asking Wright if he'll sack Shorter pregame, swearing, the whole call was absolutely cringeworthy

Amazing to see how bad the defensive set is for the Kings. Humphries on Shorter at perimeter, Newley on DJ in the paint and neither is calling the other to switch? I'll watch the replay later if only to dissect the coaching ineptness.

Something is seriously wrong. Hard to believe that someone who's played 600+ NBL games can't reinforce basic concepts and help his players focus. He certainly knows more than enough X & Os but strategically? Seriously has a lot to answer for if you ask the right questions...

The standard of refereeing is more of a problem than having a shit team in Sydney. Big change in the way the game was called between the 1st half and the 3rd Q, and then in the 4th it swings back again.

agree regarding the refereeing.

It actually was a great idea, it was just 3 months too late.

And if it's game 2 of the season, who cares. Plenty of time to gel, turn it around, etc.

The NBL refereeing sucks in general, but most of all for import bigs who aren't used to every contested shot inside the paint being whistled a foul. Tyler made 2 dumb fouls that game, the other 3 I'll be generous and call 30/70 calls. If he had a preseason of NBL refereeing, he probably isn't fouling out in 11 minutes in round 7.

Randle is Randle. He had a bad game. He looks out of shape, and has started both games well in the 1st Q and quickly run out of gas. He'll turn it around, but it will be too little too late.

Gaze would still be our coach so I'm not saying we'd be leading the table or anything like that, but we'd be .500 at worst.

Todd Blanchfield is a bust. Tyler, I've been harsh on but at least he pulled his head in and didn't sook - which he actually had reason to with at least 2 of his calls.
Blanchfield should never see another minute of an NBL game. Absolutely useless. And that Thoseby guy, what's his story?
If the Kings were looking for a guy with a shit beard and no skills they could have called me...

Adelaide defended Randle well

Tyler was hard done by with the refs.

Humphries impressive.

Third quarter broke the Kings but I'm still not writing them off. Lisch will improve their D.

Interesting times in the NBl. Calling so many fouls, it does reduce some of the traditional advantages associated with size and penalises slow players.

I watched in amazement many of the fouls called on the Kings today. Then check box scores tonight and see Hawks called for 8 fouls for the entire game. What's going on

Crowd tonight was 6093.

Gaze said Randle and Tyler still were fitting in and only had two practices, limiting the Kings' offensive options.

"The glaring elephant in the room in our team ... we won’t make progress if we have to score over 110 points to win a game of basketball," Gaze said.

“Until such a time as we can defend, and be confident about our defence, it’s going to put enormous pressure on your offence.”

Gaze said trying zone hadn’t been much more effective.

“Towards the end there in the fourth quarter, I thought we did a few things, tried to switch a few times, we got burnt a couple of times.”

Also Sydney may be 2-9 but 11 of remaining 17 games are at home.

Their schedule is incredibly clustered. So far Adelaide and Illawarra 7 of 11 games

Between Nov 30 and Dec 31, 8 games. 5 at home. 7 of 8 are against Cairns (3) Bris and Mel (2 each).

Then in January they play Perth 3 times in 15 days.

The schedule is truly bizarre but I think Sydney could conceivably win 5 or 6 from 8, getting them to 7-12 or 8-11 before that make or break January stretch against the Cats

https://www.foxsports.com.au/video/other-sports/basketball/press-conferences/kings-press-conference!652917

The full post game interview with Gaze. Journos were very careful of the questions they asked, understandably soft to preserve good will and access, but there's enough there to induce pity and extended duration headshaking.

7 minutes in, he revealed that he doesn't know what to tell/teach Tyler about how to play defense in the NBL or deal with the refs. Well... you're a head coach aren't ya? What hope has Tyler got in trying to adjust if you haven't got a clue? For starters, how about you pick up the phone and ring up Scott Butler to arrange a meeting to discuss the issue? Bring all video footage and if you ask nicely, Butler will probably look at you weird and explain the rules. If Tyler's not willing or unable to adjust then NBL is not for him unfortunately.

The part comparing real world crisis such as Yemen and their 2-9 record is a slap to the face to almost every disappointed Kings fans. Yeah Yemen is a real tragedy but trivialising your team's current plight is not a good idea, particularly when you are one of the major reasons for the rot. It reveals the mindset behind the ineptitude and likely the poor culture behind the team's poor performance.

I'd love for the journos to have had the courage to ask him what's the go with Thoseby and Pineau in the 3rd qtr ahead of Garlepp with the game slowly slipping away? Both rookies made glaring defensive mistakes that Garlepp might have avoided with his extensive experience?

There were a few instances as well where both Newley and Ellis were starting to get exhausted where Garlepp would've been the most logical substitution to give them valuable rest. Why not? Blanchfield was struggling as well on both ends of the floor, why not utilise Garlepp to explore a different option? SMH

It is sad to see Gaze looking down and out as he is such a nice guy. Players can take advantage of coaches that are too nice!

In response to the Anon above and Gazey being a 'nice guy'... does anybody in here think that Gaze has it in him to get called for a tech?

We all know that other coaches will cop a tech to prove to the players that he has their back and that isn't the message I feel from watching Kings games.

And will someone keep feeding Ellis, that man is hungry and he is delivering.

Serious question, if Ellis picked up on his rebounding, could he be league MVP as he he played as many good games as anyone else in the league

Couldn't help but look around at the crowd last night, and notice a players girlfriend sitting in a corporate box - drinking, laughing and screaming.
Funny how sitting in the crowd was good enough for you last season but this year you are more important and had to sit in a box
Adelaide Fans should be grateful no food or drinks were thrown at them by her.

Sick of hearing what a nice guy Gaze is. If he was a nice guy he'd quit and stop impersonating a coach

Most likely the best 36ers defence for a few years , although , unlikely Randle was fit .
..blanchfield in sixers best players . . we caint help it if we're lucky... although doyle makes me nervous about winning a game when he's on ...
.. perhaps sydney couldaa pressed up a bit with three minutes to go...

If they get a decent coach right now, Sydney has a chance to make playoffs

*points at Gordie McLeod*

Pity Shawn Dennis is too busy enjoying sushi and sake...

The realisation is Gaze and Copeland are terrible coaches!!! They were okay last year because Vickerman was there...

Whilst Gaze is not a quitter; if the players are not responding to him, he should do the right thing and step away.