Kings coach hails ‘best’ response as Wildcats fightback falls short — NBL Wrap

The Sydney Kings have returned to the winners' circle after defeating the Perth Wildcats 99-91 in front of the Red Army at RAC Arena, producing a dominant first-half performance before holding off a spirited comeback from the hosts.

Watch every NBL game LIVE with ESPN, available on Kayo | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.

The victory sees the reigning champions improve to 6-3, leapfrogging the Wildcats (5-3) into second place on the NBL standings, with the performance serving as another reminder of just how dangerous Brian Goorjian's side can be when firing on all cylinders.

Led by reigning Finals MVP Kendric Davis and former NBA forward Torrey Craig, the Kings built a commanding first-half lead before being forced to withstand a late Perth fightback, showing the resilience that Goorjian had been demanding from his players.

'REAL GOOD FOR US TONIGHT'

Sydney Kings head coach Brian Goorjian praised his side's response following a disappointing loss to Melbourne United, describing the victory as a significant step forward in their ability to handle adversity.

For the legendary coach, it wasn't just the offensive performance that impressed him, but the way his players responded when the Wildcats threatened to turn the game around.

"Real good for us tonight," he said.

"We've talked a lot about playing through bad patches and difficulty and disappointment, and that we're in the stage of the year with the group and the guys that are new that are playing, coming off a championship last year, that hasn't been good.

"Some things go against us and it just snowballs. And tonight, I knew there was no way we were blowing them [Perth] out.

"And I thought a big aspect to the game was how this second half ended. We got up there 25. If you finish at 27, 28, it makes it a lot more difficult when a team runs off nine unanswered points down and finishes at 17, It's a totally different game."

Sydney wasted little time asserting its dominance, racing to a 33-17 opening-quarter lead behind an early 10-0 run.

Davis, coming off one of the toughest performances of his NBL career against United, responded emphatically, scoring 14 points in the opening period as the Kings threatened to put the contest beyond reach.

However, despite building a lead of as many as 25 points, Goorjian knew the Wildcats would eventually respond, particularly in front of their home crowd.

And while Perth's defensive pressure made life uncomfortable at times, the Kings coach was pleased with his side's composure when the momentum began to shift.

"I was prepared for what took place," he said.

"And I thought the pressure that they put on, you're always dealing in your own mind with calls with things that go on during that. And for us, there was some really uncomfortable possessions but we kept playing.

"There was a lot of time left and it was anybody's game. And so that was something discussed coming in here, not just about this team, but about us.

"The passage of time right now for us of how we handle those times and tonight was the best and a step forward. So since our loss, that was a focus point and real pleased with them in there."

The Kings were clinical offensively, shooting 16-of-33 (48.5%) from beyond the arc and 37-of-67 (55.2%) overall.

Davis finished with 24 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, while Craig continued his impressive run of form with a game-high 26 points, including a crucial late block on Wildcats forward Kristian Doolittle.

Despite facing constant defensive attention and multiple double-teams throughout the contest, Davis continued to influence the game, with Goorjian comparing the treatment his star guard received to the defensive schemes regularly used against six-time MVP Bryce Cotton.

"KD is somebody we play off of this year we're getting a lot more Bryce Cotton type defence," he said.

"Similar stuff that they do to him. A lot of doubles, being real physical off the ball and I thought we did a good job of penalising that. So when they went, Kendric was matched and he was dominating. Then they went with the double and triple teams and I thought we did a good job of playing through that."

While the victory was an important response for Sydney, Goorjian acknowledged the challenges awaiting his side as the schedule begins to intensify.

Having played six of their opening games at home, the Kings now face a demanding stretch on the road, beginning with a quick turnaround against the Tasmania JackJumpers.

"We talked a lot about the schedule coming into this season. Everybody's been talking about we haven't left our place," he said.

"We have the second toughest schedule in the league. We started at home, but now it's an onslaught.

"I know we've got to leave at six o'clock, up and out this morning. Then we get there [Tasmania] and then you're playing the next day. And we've come off three road games.

"So everyone's dealing with it. And so the importance of the youth, the importance of the bench, everybody's dealing with it.

"If you want to get to where you want to go, you got to win games like this. So tonight was a really good start."

The Kings will now look to carry that momentum into their clash with Tasmania tomorrow night, in what shapes as another important test against one of the league's leading sides.

'THEY'RE A GOOD TEAM FOR A REASON'

For the Perth Wildcats, the defeat was a frustrating one, with head coach John Rillie admitting his side simply wasn't disruptive enough defensively during Sydney's dominant opening half.

The Wildcats found themselves chasing the game early, allowing Davis to find his rhythm while Craig continued his impressive offensive form.

Rillie credited the Kings for their execution, acknowledging the depth of talent that made Sydney so difficult to contain.

EXCLUSIVE: Wildcats star's 'wake up call' as Doolittle opens up on journey from college to NBL

"They played really well in the first 20 minutes of the game. They executed well," he said.

"We weren't probably disruptive, pesky enough. KD [Kendric Davis] gets some good early looks, gets his mojo going. Torrey Craig's playing at a high level, but then you got like Maluach and then Tyler Robinson comes off, you know.

"Look, they're good team for a reason. We just couldn't like arrest any kind of momentum until the end of the second quarter there."

Perth trailed by 17 points at halftime, leaving itself with plenty of work to do against the reigning champions.

However, the Wildcats refused to go away, outscoring Sydney 49-40 in the second half and cutting the deficit to single digits as the home crowd began to sense a possible comeback.

New import Brandon Knight was one of the standout performers for Perth, producing his best offensive display since arriving in the NBL.

In just his fourth appearance, the former NBA guard recorded an NBL career-high 27 points, five rebounds and four assists, shooting 7-of-18 (38.9%) from the field.

Despite Knight's efforts, the Wildcats struggled to convert their opportunities consistently, something Rillie admitted was costly against an opponent of Sydney's quality.

"I'll have to watch the film. I felt like we got good shots," he said.

"That's the difference when you make them and you don't and you're playing against a quality opponent.

"Now, was our execution good enough? Was our desire to get it done? All of that type of stuff. So they're the things that we'll watch and reflect and see what that level's at."

While Perth was flawless from the free-throw line, converting all 20 attempts, its struggles from the field proved difficult to overcome.

The Wildcats shot just 29-of-73 (39.7%) overall, highlighting Sydney's defensive impact and Perth's inability to find consistent offensive production.

Rillie was encouraged by his side's improved defensive intensity after halftime, particularly the pressure applied to Davis, but acknowledged the Kings had answers whenever the Wildcats threatened to close the gap.

"The second half, we did a much better job being disruptive and turning them over a little bit," Rillie said.

"They made the plays when they needed to make them, especially in that second half where we were chipping it down to like eight, seven, giving ourselves a bit of a chance.

MVP Power Rankings: MVP race heats up as new contender emerges, superstar slips

"You know, we double-team KD. They find [Xavier] Cooks who finds [Torrey] Craig and he makes a nice settling three.

"That's why they were the champions last year."

The defeat sees Perth slip to third on the NBL standings with a 5-3 record, although the Wildcats remain well-positioned heading into a favourable stretch of their schedule.

Four of their next five games will be played at RAC Arena before a demanding road trip, giving Rillie's side an opportunity to build momentum and strengthen its position among the league's leading contenders.

Next up is a clash with the struggling Illawarra Hawks on Saturday, presenting the Wildcats with an immediate opportunity to bounce back and return to the winners' circle.