‘Can’t let foot off the gas’: Vasiljevic say Kings must continue mid-season rebound
Dejan Vasiljevic is confident the Kings are back to “full strength” following their fiery 96-81 win over the Perth Wildcats on Sunday.
Vasiljevic was hit twice in the face by Matt Hodgson during the clash between the long-time rivals after “mouthing off” to the Wildcats centre.
Fans were pushed out of the way as the melee spilt out into the front row.Credit:Getty
The 211cm big man was ejected from the game after the incident and has been referred to the NBL’s judiciary. The act angered Kings coach Chase Buford, who declared post-game: “I don’t have a lot of respect for that play.”
Vasiljevic was well backed by his teammates in the melee with four Kings also fined by the NBL for jumping into the fight, which spilled into the front row.
For Vasiljevic, it’s a sign the strength of the Kings’ brotherhood.
After a string of injuries and four straight losses, they have claimed two major back-to-back wins to climb from ninth to fifth on the ladder heading into Friday’s trip to Hobart to face the JackJumpers. Meanwhile, the defeat for the Wildcats brought them down to third.
Vasiljevic won’t go into detail as to what sparked the reaction from Hodgson but defined the comments as typical on-court sledging which did not call for a physical retaliation.
“The situation is done so what happened on the court stays during that time, and we just move forward,” he said.
“Trash talking is a part of the game. People do it every day and every game of some sort.”
The fight displayed by the current squad is as different as night and day compared to their early-season form.
“With the injuries that we’ve had previously in the last couple of months, we’re back to normal really,” Vasiljevic said.
Dejan Vasiljevic’s Kings now sit in fifth place on the NBL ladder.Credit:Getty
“[The win against the Wildcats] a massive momentum boost for us, and it’s kind of what we needed. But now we can’t let the foot off the gas.”
With six debutants joining the club this year, it’s unsurprising the Kings needed some time to work things out on the court.
Vasiljevic also struggled at the start of the season after coming back from an Achilles heel injury.
“I was a bit rusty at the start and everyone knew that obviously coming back from injury, but I feel like myself and now feel like I’m playing better than I was last year, in my opinion,” he said.
“I’ve just got to keep going.“
Like many have done within the Kings camp this season, Vasiljevic was quick to praise co-captain Xavier Cooks for pulling the team through their early-season woes.
Just 26, Cooks has stepped up and taken on a leadership role which he last month attributed to recently becoming a father.
“He does a bit of everything,” Vasiljevic said about Cooks.
“He is our marquee man, and he’s proven that this year. He’s the one leading us for sure.”
The Kings play the Tasmanian JackJumpers at 7.30pm AEDT in Hobart on Friday.
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