Chinatown; Sydney Kings vs West Sydney Razorbacks - Entertainment Centre - 21/10/06

Ethan Switch - Sunday, 22 October 2006 - Print Version

Back streets and alleys feature cobblestones, loose steps and cardboard to walk across. Feel the freezing breeze as the legs crumble and give to one mother of a wind chill. Nobody rubs this close late at night without it being down William Street. Or with metal slugs in the chamber. Perspective and all, so very clear and charming to the crowd. Rain drops keep falling on the head, but that doesn't mean anything for the fire in pig's bed.

Slip of the tongue and the crackle of the announcer starts with, "Your Tre... Firepower Sydney Kings!" to intro the team as they run onto the court.

West Sydney Razorbacks' James Harvey and Liam Rush are out with the first points on the board Kings pick it up loose when captain Jason Smith marks the first with David Barlow flying his flank. Tossing back and forth, the teams are warming up with the ball as Kings edge on 38 to 30 by the Pigs.

The No Name Sydney Kings Cheerleaders sport one piece outfits low in the front bottom lip and an inch higher on the rear. Quite a few centimetres short of looking like slightly long T-shirts. Clear blocks of purple and gold rivers marks them easy out from the squeaky shine. Comedy time on the big screen shows up pre-season antics of the Lion; pumping iron and strutting about the gym and beauty salon with a fresher look.

Not letting the flash down in the second quarter, the Kings are on a double hit with Rodney Elliot and David Barlow slamming dunks in quick succession. Ambush in the long grass fields as Rush jumps out of nowhere in the key to run into the game. Sydney's EJ Rowland tap in another for the crowd and with Smith out of the shaky first it's 73 over 57 with West Sydney looking worse for wear.

Booty shimmy is the 7 Flavours Breakdance team in all various styles of break and a twist of Capoeira for the mix. A lot of time is on the build up, whipping the dispersing crowd looking for food, porcelain glean or the back of their eyelids. For a set with so many minutes of flair, it feels dull in parts. Lacking in cohesion and fluidity. Popping is a fave with three of the crew shooting a lock. The sole female cuts out an all over body vibration that needs rewatching just to spot light the dislocations and electrocutions.

Barlow leads the first of the second as the Kings continue to hold the Razorbacks back. Scott McGregor and Harvey are out in force, but not enough to sing the songs for West Sydney still trail and look beat from all accounts as the lights read 109 to 84 with one more quarter to ring in the hurt.

Feral kids bombard The Lion as the rounds the stands in the upper bowl. A woman who catches a flying Gatorade T falls over herself after inspecting the size on the neck. One row off makes all the difference and the kids jumping aisles and rows are spitting for it. No similar rush of erratic grabby hands in the case of a wandering Lioness sections apart from wherever the Lion roams. Spousal disharmony?

Fourth quarter sees every single player mark a notch on the scoreboard. With the pace, some clean up occurs, keeping a shot in with a lay up here and there to secure the basket. Easy keeping the tense matter to black, Sydney hold strong from start to finish and deny the visitors a chance to hit three digits, just shy by one with a late go from the squad.

Kings no match with a shameful/fantastic/indifferent final read shouting a massive gap with 142-99 the final score.

Ethan Switch