Kings win NBL opener, Heal promises Sydney Kings coach Shane Heal has warned his new-look team will keep improving after beating Melbourne Tigers 73-69 in a wildly see-sawing NBL opening round clash on Sunday. The Kings rode the hot hand of veteran shooting guard James Harvey (19 points in 19 minutes), backed by an impressive debut from big man A.J. Ogilvy, to triumph despite trailing by 10 points in the final quarter of the home match. Boomers star Mark Worthington had threatened to ruin his former team's party as he scored all of his 17 points in the second half, helping the Tigers mow down the Kings' 13-point lead in the third quarter. Heal had predicted Ogilvy, back from overseas, could become the league's dominant big man and Ogilvy (14 points, 12 rebounds, 5 blocks) justified the hype. Sydney's two imports, Jesse Sanders and Charles Carmouche, combined for only nine points, but Heal was unconcerned as he has multiple scoring threats, including Brad Hill who bagged 13. Both Ogilvy and Harvey battled injury in the pre-season and will get better, he said. So too will star guard Ben Madgen who made a surprise 10-minute appearance, his first match since suffering a serious ankle injury in Boomers camp. "I told my guys half the games we play this year are going to be decided by five points or less so we have to be able to stay in games," Heal said. With plenty of pre-season injury worries himself, Melbourne Chris Anstey was philosophical. "Credit to them, they made some big plays and James Harvey hit some tough shots," said Anstey. But when you lose a game from 10 points up in the final quarter, it's mainly self-inflicted. Predictions for a tighter NBL competition this season looked on the money after a first round when only reigning champions New Zealand Breakers had a blowout win. Seeking a record fourth straight NBL title, the Breakers started with a 92-73 victory over the Wollongong Hawks in Auckland. Daryl Corletto scored 19 points and shot four of five three-point attempts as the Breakers displayed the explosive style favoured by new coach Dean Vickerman. We're a team that can be fairly loose offensively. I don't feel like I need to give them much structure," said Vickerman. Perth Wildcats' new import James Ennis lived up to his pre-season hype as his team snatched a thrilling 83-80 home win over the Adelaide 36ers. The athletic Ennis, who is affiliated to the Miami Heat, scored 25 points, including four three-pointers and produced some exciting plays around the rim. Luke Schenscher (13 points) and Daniel Johnson (28 points) dominated the final quarter for undermanned Adelaide and it took a desperation shot from veteran Shawn Redhage with 20 seconds left to secure the win. In the northern derby clash, Cairns Taipans were too strong for Townsville Crocodiles, winning 103-92 on the road, led by import guard Jamar Wilson (27 points). However the Crocs, who nearly folded in the off-season, could take some heart from the efforts of point guard Steve Markovic in his return to the NBL after several seasons in Europe.