Brisbane uncovered a real star in American Kevin Freeman, but it was as much the effort of low budget guard Ben Castle which led to a massive NBL upset at the Brisbane Convention Centre.

The Bullets, anchored last on the NBL ladder with a 1-11 record sunk the Sydney Kings 103-96, giving rookie coach Joey Wright his biggest win in a brief career.

With Bullets' legend Leroy Loggins sitting on the baseline, Brisbane hung on for a seven point win after leading by 14 points at one stage.

Freeman, who matched up on Kings ace Chris Williams, followed up his 30 point and 17 rebound game against Adelaide at the weekend with 23 points and 11 rebounds in another MVP performance.

Castle only had seven points and shot only 3-11 but his hussle on the ball, his tigerish defence and work on the boards - he had 10 rebounds - and his never-say-die attitude, typified Brisbane's effort.

Castle had seven assists and scrapped for every loose ball like his life depended on it.

Wright and assistant coach Paul Mellett ripped into the players as the Kings came back hard in the third and final quarters.

Brisbane did a good job defensively on Kings guard Franklin Kavossy (17 points) and also Williams (17 points and 10 rebounds) who drifted on and out of the game.

The team provided American guard Randy Rutherford with the perfect birthday present.

"I'll celebrate tonight and then get back in the trenches for the game against Townsville," said Rutherford, who had 18 points."

Kings coach Brian Goorjian said Brisbane were "too tough and too tight" on the night and his team had lacked energy.

"When the team play like that, it's ugly and we've done a good job not doing that this season," said Goorjian.

"I hope we don't see another one."

The form guide looked on the money in the opening quarter when the glamour Kings shot out to an 11 point lead twice (19-8 and 23-12) and at quarter time led 28-20 with skipper Shane Heal (nine) and import Williams (seven) setting up a handy lead.

When Matt Nielsen picked off a Bullet's tip-off win to start the second quarter with a lay-up and a 10 point lead, Brisbane looked in for a long night.

But the Bullets turned up the defensive heat on the Kings and got their offence running and their sharpshooters firing.

Brisbane forward Daniel Egan, levelled the scores 37-37 from the charity stripe, bringing the crowd alive and then came up with his second reject to give the Bullets the momentum.

Freeman somehow hooked in two with players hanging off him in the paint and when Egan ripped down a monster rebound and stuffed it back, Brisbane had a shock 43-39 lead.

Heal and Rutherford traded bombs late in the quarter and they finished with six of the last eight baskets between then.

At the long break Brisbane had turned an eight point deficit into a 57-50 lead which could have been bigger had Heal not finished the quarter with the last two scoring shots.

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