Game Preview: Hawks @ Sydney Kings | RD2 NBL27

Throw out the ladder. Throw out the form guide. When the Illawarra Hawks head up the freeway to face the Sydney Kings, none of it counts for a thing.

Sunday night at Afterpay Arena is the first of four clashes with the NBL26 champions this season, and the Adrian Hurley Cup is back up for grabs.

We know what the Kings did to us last season. We also know what we did to them the season before. The Kings are riding a ten-game winning streak in their own building, but this is still a building where the Hawks lead the all-time ledger 13-11. We have won here before, and Hawkheads will be in Section 16 to see us do it again.

Yes, we are 0-2. But anyone who watched Brisbane saw a group that refuses to fold. We were 18 down in the second quarter and got it back to eight by the break. We were 11 down early in the fourth and cut it to one. Co-captain Sam Froling marked his 200th game with a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double. Even Kings coach Brian Goorjian knows what's coming: "Where they're scary is that they can really score the ball." He's right. The Hawks are locked in, and Sunday is the night this season takes flight.

The Matchup

This is the first meeting of NBL27, and the opening game of the Adrian Hurley Cup series.

• NBL26 series: Kings won 4-0.
• NBL25 series: Hawks won 4-0.
• All-time: 124 games, Kings lead 69-55.
• At Afterpay Arena: 24 games, Hawks lead 13-11.
• The Kings: 1-0 after a 111-90 win over Cairns, with seven players in double figures.
• The Hawks: 0-2 after road losses in Auckland (95-81) and Brisbane (103-95).

Delly vs Davo: Some matchups are about numbers. This one is about history.

In the NBL25 Grand Final series, Davo Hickey went head to head with Matthew Dellavedova and Melbourne United. The Hawks won the championship, but the MVP went to Dellavedova. Then, in a moment Hawkheads will never forget, Delly walked over and handed the award to Davo. It was one champion competitor recognising another, and it's still one of the great moments of sportsmanship this league has seen.

Delly has since added an NBL26 championship of his own, and there's nothing sentimental about Sunday. He opened his Kings season with 12 points and six assists, controlling the pace the way he always has. Davo has started NBL27 in career form: 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds a game on 57.1% shooting. Whoever wins the tempo battle between these two will go a long way to deciding who takes the first leg of the Adrian Hurley Cup.

Scouting the Kings

Kendric Davis (guard). The NBL26 Championship Series MVP opened his season with 26 points, six assists and five rebounds against Cairns, off just two practice sessions. He is a shot-creator who can hurt you any way he likes, and he runs everything for Sydney.

Xavier Cooks (forward). The Kings' two-way engine. Cooks had 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocks against the Taipans, and he leads Sydney on the glass and at the rim.

Matthew Dellavedova (guard). The veteran organiser. Twelve points and six assists in Round 1, and nobody in the league is better at dragging a game into the grind he wants.

Behind them, Torrey Craig (13 points) and new import Andrew Carr (11 points) round out a starting five with serious depth.

Keys to Victory

Cash In at the Stripe. Through two games we have made 21 of 39 free throws. In Brisbane alone we left 11 points at the line in a game decided by eight. Knock them down and this is a different season already.

Own the Offensive Glass. We have grabbed 29 offensive rebounds in two games, and Froling is averaging 5.5 a night on his own. The Kings want to control the boards and the tempo. Take the glass off them and we take both.

Put Kendric in a Crowd. Davis is the head of the snake. Every screen, every drive, every pull-up needs a second body waiting for him. Make someone else beat us.

Let It Fly. Goorjian has already told his team their priority is guarding the three-point line. Good. We went from 7 of 31 in Auckland to 12 of 34 in Brisbane, Tyler Harvey is averaging 17 points on 36.8% from deep, and Johny Narkle is 8 of 10 from the field this season.

Game Details

• ‍Who: Illawarra Hawks at Sydney Kings‍
• When: Sunday 27 September 2026, 6:00pm AEST (doors 4:30pm)‍
• Where: Afterpay Arena‍
• Watch: Live on ESPN on Disney+

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Hawkheads have been allocated Section 16, so grab your seats here. Can't make it to Sydney? Join the watch party at The Illawarra.

Watch Party at The Illawarra

Join other Hawkheads at The Illawarra for a watch party and make some noise from home.

Secure a HoopsFest jersey before it's too late!!

Home Opener | Friday Oct 2.

Then the Gong gets its first look at this group: Friday 2 October, 7:30pm, against the Adelaide 36ers at WIN Entertainment Centre.

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STRONGER. LOUDER. TOGETHER.

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