Steve Barrett
The Sydney Kings have made a great start to their NBL title defence, thumping the Cairns Taipans 111-90.
Superstar guard Kendric Davis, last seasonā€™s grand final MVP, starred with 26 points and six assists at Sydneyā€™s Afterpay Arena on Sunday.
Skipper Xavier Cooks added 18 points as seven Kings posted double-digit scores.
Keanu Pinder was comfortably the Taipansā€™ standout, scoring 27 points at 65 per cent in his return to the league.
Cairns scoring machine Jack McVeigh was held to a paltry seven points, which was pivotal in the final result.
Pinder was everywhere early as Cairns, one of last seasonā€™s stragglers, ambushed the reigning champions with a 14-8 start. But once the Kings awoke from their early slumber, they were always going to be difficult to contain.
Sydney pulled ahead 32-26 at quarter time and maintained that margin when they led 59-53 at the long break, with Davis influential and new import centre Andrew Carr efficient.
The Snakes, living and dying from the perimeter, closed the gap to 69-65, before being dominated late.
Davis, Matthew Dellavedova, Makuach Maluach and first-gamer Will Johnston caught fire from outside as Sydney went on a 13-2 run and led 90-73 at three-quarter time, with Shaun Bruce waging a lone vigil for the visitors by that stage.
With Davis, Cooks and Torrey Craig continuing to fire in the final term for the Kings, the margin swelled past the 20-point mark to ensure the reigning premiers began their campaign with a win.
Meanwhile, New Zealandā€™s three-headed monster put on a show as the Breakers kicked off their NBL season with a clinical 95-81 victory over the Illawarra Hawks.
Expected to be one of the competitionā€™s improvers, the Breakers were barely troubled in their win at Aucklandā€™s Spark Arena on Sunday.
Big Sam Mennenga ruled the paint, posting 27 points and eight rebounds, prize off-season recruit Dejan Vasiljevic scored 24 points ā€“ including 6-of-10 three-pointers ā€“ and captain Parker Jackson-Cartwright paired 23 points with 13 assists.
AAP
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