The Sydney Kings have sent another thunderous warning shot to the rest of the NBL, dismantling the Perth Wildcats 102–84 at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday 15 February, to extend their winning streak to 10 games and surge back to the top of the table with one round remaining. It was a performance dripping with finals-level intensity, built on suffocating defence and an offence that looks more dangerous by the week.
After a frantic opening term that saw Perth edge ahead 29-28, the Kings tightened the screws and never looked back. They strangled the Wildcats to just 16 points in the second quarter, building a double-digit buffer and then methodically stretching it out across the second half. Sydney’s trademark ball movement and spacing carved up Perth’s defensive coverage as they poured in triple figures for the seventh straight outing, shooting 51 per cent from the field and a scorching 14-of-29 from beyond the arc.
At the heart of it all was Kendric Davis, who continued his blistering MVP push with 30 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in 32 commanding minutes. Davis was lethal off the dribble, drilling six three-pointers and repeatedly punishing late closeouts while orchestrating the offence with just two turnovers. He had ample support from emerging wing Makuach Maluach, while Xavier Cooks and Tim Soares each chipped in 14 as Sydney’s depth again overwhelmed a quality opponent.
Defensively, Brian Goorjian’s side looked every bit a postseason juggernaut, holding Perth to 38 per cent shooting and just 8-of-38 from long range, while winning the glass 50-40 and dominating the Wildcats’ assist tally 24-13. It was the kind of complete, professional display that has transformed a slow-starting outfit into the league’s form team over the past month, with Sydney now riding a 10-game wave of momentum into the final week of the regular season.
With one more clash against Brisbane to lock in the regular season crown, the Kings are quietly but unmistakably heating up at exactly the right time, and their current surge makes them a very serious contender to be holding the trophy aloft at season’s end.
