Sobey, Phoenix outgun Kings in high-octane thriller

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Phoenix guards Nathan Sobey filled it up and John Brown III locked it down as South East Melbourne and the Sydney Kings put up the highest scoring game of NBL26 124-117 at Qudos Bank Arena on Monday, January 5, 2026.

Captain Sobey finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Jordan Hunter knocked down 23 points, including four triples. Owen Foxwell (16 points, four assists) and DJ Mitchell (16 points on 80% three-point shooting) provided crucial scoring bursts, and Angus Glover added 18 off the bench. The Phoenix connected on 17 three-pointers at 42.5%, stretching the Kings’ defence at key moments.

The Kings, already without Bul Kuol with knee injury, lost Xavier Cooks to an ankle injury before half-time and he didn't come out in the second half.

Red hot Kings point guard Kendric Davis fouled out down the stretch in the ball game and Sydney just didn't have enough firepower to get it done.

The Phoenix are second at 15-7 while the Kings hang onto fourth at 13-9.

Phoenix head coach Josh King said: "I don’t got a voice left.

"Yeah, it was bad defense on both sides probably, but it was a fun game. I don’t know, there’s a famous football coach — I can’t remember which one said it — but you play to win the game. Who was it? (NFL coach) Herm Edwards. You play to win the game, everybody’s seen it.

"So we played to win the game. We wanted it to be a racetrack. For us — and obviously for them — it was a racetrack. But I do think, credit to them coming back. I thought we kind of cracked them in the third, I thought we really had a lot of momentum, and they found a way. They went to a small-ball lineup, it gave us problems.

"But again, you play to win the game. We found a way, and I’m really proud of the guys for getting a gut-check win."

Sobey is not only playing at an All-NBL First Team level, he's putting up MVP numbers but he said it was the Phoenix squad that had him up and about.

"Just the depth of our team," he said.

"Understanding we’ve got a lot of bodies to go through the group. Understanding when it’s your night, guys stepping up on different nights, and everyone still celebrating each other.

Then you see the winning plays like we talked about with JB. Those are the things teams that are successful do, and they’re huge for the group.

"It’s always good to come out on top in games like this. Obviously you wish in the third quarter you just go ahead and have an easy run home, but sometimes these build even stronger chemistry.

"It gives guys opportunities to play in pressure situations. We had several guys step up tonight and make key plays down the stretch. Couldn’t be more proud of the group for finding a way.

"Obviously Cooks got hurt in the game, and that puts you in different situations you didn’t get to work on. They’re throwing out crazy lineups — five guards, four guards — and Kendrick had it going.

"So they had us spinning a little bit. That’s stuff you can’t project going into a game. Proud of our guys for figuring it out on the fly."

Sydney Kings head coach Brian Goorjian needed every one of his more than 800 games in charge of NBL teams to work through the loss of Cooks.

"I’m really proud of them," Goorjian said.

"My mind right now is really solution-based. It’s on me to figure out how to get better from this.

"There’s a lot there I really liked — I really liked the way Delly played, KD. It was different and it was on the hop tonight. We know we’ve got a couple of days to prepare, but there’s absolutely no sign of panic. Everybody feels good about the guy around them and how they’re playing.

"Let’s come up with some solutions. There were some issues out there that were hard to deal with on the hop. They were deeper than we are, smaller than we are. We had a situation without Bul, so we had a game plan for that and it went right away.

"I thought the spread of the floor, attacking the basket, the pace, the plays they made, the intensity — we just didn’t have an answer for them defensively. Switching, showing, small lineup, big lineup — they scored and hurt us on the offensive glass, even on a free-throw situation at the end.

"So how we deal with the glass and how we take more advantage of the group we have now — because again, Tyler, Shaun Bruce, I thought they were great — it’s heartbreaking. You look up there, you get that dunk and think you’ve got a great chance.

"The place is going crazy. I didn’t think we got a call down the back stretch — a hook, a push, nothing. It’s the second time where there’s six guys on the court and we’re not playing, and they score a basket. It happened in New Zealand and it happened now.

"They want to get the ball in quick so there’s no challenge. You’ve got no time to get to the video guy. My guys are trying to match up — there’s six players on the floor. The answer to it is a technical foul.

"I’m emotional right now and probably shouldn’t be saying that, but your margin for error is this small. Everything counts — every possession, every free throw, every block.

"I loved my group tonight. We were three up, four up, they called a timeout and I thought, “We’ve really got a chance to do something special.” Same thing in Adelaide — got up four late and took two hits. Onward."

Key Details

• Result: South East Melbourne Phoenix 124 def. Sydney Kings 117
• When: Sunday, 5th January 2026
• Where: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
• Attendance: 10,825
• Standings

It was a classic back-and-forth contest, featuring 34 lead changes and neither side leading by more than double figures. Sydney jumped out early behind a 35-point opening quarter, but South East Melbourne answered immediately, setting the tone for a night where momentum constantly swung.

The Kings were led by a sensational performance from Davis, who poured in 30 points on 11-of-13 shooting, including a perfect 4-of-4 from three, adding six assists in just over 31 minutes. Matthew Dellavedova was equally influential, posting 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting with five assists, while Makuach Maluach added 15 points and six rebounds, including two monster jams. Despite shooting an outstanding 60.3% from the field, Sydney couldn’t generate enough separation late.

The decisive run came late in the fourth quarter, as the Phoenix executed cleanly in the half court and won the rebounding battle 44–34, generating second-chance looks that kept Sydney from regaining control. While the Kings led for over 22 minutes of game time, South East Melbourne’s composure down the stretch sealed a statement road win in one of the most entertaining games of the NBL26 season.

Matthew Dellavedova was a steadying presence for Sydney. He finished with 20 points on an ultra-efficient 7-of-8 shooting to go with five assists, consistently punishing defensive lapses and making the right read under pressure. With injuries stripping the Kings of frontcourt stability and Davis carrying a heavy offensive load, Dellavedova’s composure and decision-making were critical in keeping Sydney connected well into the fourth quarter.

Despite getting posterised by Makuach, Jordan Hunter delivered one of his most assertive offensive performances of the season, finishing with 23 points and knocking down four three-pointers. He repeatedly hurt Sydney by stepping confidently into perimeter shots and attacking close-outs, forcing the Kings to stretch their defensive coverage. In a game defined by shot-making, Hunter’s scoring punch was a key factor in South East Melbourne maintaining offensive pressure across all four quarters.