A fourth-quarter masterclass from new import Derrick Walton Jr. has helped the Sydney Kings to a 100-90 win over the Brisbane Bullets that confirms the early signs are good for the Kings in their championship defence.
In front of the biggest stand-alone crowd for their first home game of a season (11,478), the Kings unfurled their fourth championship banner that was earned on the same floor five months ago.
The departure of all three imports at the end of last season, headlined by reigning MVP Jaylen Adams, led to questions as to the Kings' ability to earn a fifth crown this year.
But after posting 32 points in his first game, Walton Jr. once again allayed concerns by standing up just as the Bullets threatened to pull away on Friday night.
The scores locked at 67-apiece at the final change, the former NBA guard took it upon himself to break the stalemate with 10 points for the quarter.
Like Adams before him, Walton Jr. proved just as confident charging through the paint as on the perimeter and is now the first player in Kings history to have eight assists in both of his first two games.
In their attempts to contain Walton Jr., the Bullets were error-prone, with three players fouling out in the final period.
When Walton Jr. came on in the fourth quarter, the Kings were up 72-67 and when he checked out to rapturous applause from the crowd, Sydney had a 96-81 advantage.
"Derrick did a great job facilitating for the first three quarters and then the lanes started opening up for him to start scoring at clutch time," said Kings forward Xavier Cooks.
"He makes everyone around him look a lot better."
The addition of ex-NBA behemoth Aron Baynes and Nathan Sobey's return to fitness will be boons for the Bullets this season and both men were important when the game was in the balance.
Baynes was the first man to 10 points in only his second competitive game since suffering a serious spinal cord injury while playing for Australia at the Tokyo Olympics.
He brought an imposing defensive presence, and when he went off for a spell in the second quarter, the Kings went on a 10-4 run.
With Baynes on deck, the Kings needed a big night out of Cooks and they got one; he finished with 11 rebounds and 23 points to demonstrate why there's been early money on him for MVP.
Sobey struggled in his first NBL game back from a persistent knee injury last week but guarded the ball more effectively this time around.
The injection of Sobey and Baynes in the third quarter spurred the Bullets on and when Sobey sunk a three as the seconds expired to the final change, Brisbane were back on level terms.
But that was before Walton Jr. ascended the throne for the Kings.
"I can't fault the effort," Bullets coach James Duncan said.
"But our execution in terms of the details, was a D going into the last five minutes of the game."
