Sydney's 110–99 win over South East Melbourne on Sunday wasn't a routine comeback. The Kings trailed 30–9 midway through the opening quarter, having watched the Phoenix hit seven early threes, yet finished the afternoon back on top of the NBL ladder. The important part wasn't merely erasing 21 points. Sydney found a way to stop the game being played at South East Melbourne's preferred speed, then kept scoring when the visitors mounted one final challenge.
The opening was extraordinary: South East Melbourne scored 21 of the first 23 points in roughly three minutes. Nathan Sobey eventually finished with 33 points and six rebounds, hitting six of his 11 attempts from deep. Tanner Krebs added four triples of his own. But the Phoenix's early shooting barrage was followed by a second quarter in which they managed just 13 points on 4-of-16 shooting, including 1-of-9 from outside. Sydney outscored them 45–21 over the remainder of the first half to lead 54–51 at the break.
That swing tells you more about the Kings than the final margin. They didn't need to match seven threes in five minutes. They needed to defend the next possession, keep the ball moving and give their scorers enough chances to work back into the game. Torrey Craig supplied 23 points, five rebounds and three blocks, making three of six from beyond the arc. Will Johnston contributed 13 points and helped Sydney regain its footing before Kendric Davis took over as the central attacking threat.
Davis finished with 28 points and nine assists, including a major third-quarter burst that helped the Kings extend their lead to 83–70. Xavier Cooks gave Sydney another route to control with 15 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Makuach Maluach's 14 points, three steals and two blocks underlined the range of contributions available when the Kings' defence and transition game are connected. It's an important distinction: this wasn't a comeback built on one guard taking every difficult shot.
The Phoenix still had a chance. Sobey's late three cut the deficit to four with five minutes remaining, but Sydney answered with the next eight points, a run capped by a Maluach dunk. That's the stretch that separates a comeback from a win. South East Melbourne had done enough to make the home crowd nervous again, yet the Kings found stops and baskets in sequence rather than allowing the contest to become another shooting exchange.
For South East Melbourne, the 4–7 record now carries a frustrating pattern. An explosive opening created a cushion most teams would love, but the second-quarter collapse handed it back. Yannis Morin's 12 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks provided valuable interior work, while Angus Glover scored 11 in his 200th NBL appearance. The problem wasn't a lack of individual contributions; it was the inability to sustain useful possessions once the first wave of outside shots stopped falling.
Sydney improved to 8–3 and reclaimed first place ahead of Tasmania. Matthew Dellavedova also returned to the rotation, playing 17 minutes and contributing seven points and four assists. That matters for the Kings' options as they head to Cairns on Friday: Davis remains the headline creator, but the team has experienced support and defensive versatility around him. The Phoenix host Illawarra on Wednesday, where a steadier forty minutes will matter more than another spectacular five.
The NBL's game report details the comeback, player performances and quarter-by-quarter shifts. The official match centre records the 8 November fixture and result.
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