King Kendric conquers Wildcats in Jungle 'war'

• Kendric Davis poured in 38 points on 14-from-25 shooting in Perth
• Sydney outscored the Wildcats 64–37 in the second half
• Kings moved to fourth at 8–7, leapfrogging Perth
• Brian Goorjian praised adjustments after consecutive losses

Aspiring NBA player Kendric Davis detonated on the Perth Wildcats as the Kings steamrolled the home team in the second half to win their eighth game of NBL26 108-79 in Perth on Friday, December 12, 2025.

Davis poured in 38 points on 14-from-25 from the field (7-from-13 threes), had five boards and eight assists and was an incredible +30 in 31 minutes.

The win moved 8-7 Kings into fourth, above the Wildcats who dropped to fifth at 9-8.

"I’m really pleased," head coach Brian Goorjian said.

"I think this league is like every game is analysed like it’s a season. You lose a game and it’s, 'What’s wrong with the Kings? Why? What happened there? There’s a problem', blah blah blah.

"You win a game and it’s this. I think everybody should start getting comfortable with it. This is war. Anybody, on their day, is capable.

"I just thought tonight you’ve got a desperate team, and we’ve had an opportunity to make some adjustments.

"Everyone’s dealing with injuries, but we lost both the guards and we struggled during that. We had a nice little window here to get ready for this game, and the spot minutes from (Matthew Dellavedova) Delly really helped.

"I thought the adjustments we made, as far as the game plan after the two losses in this little window, were on point tonight."

The Wildcats were outscored 64-37 in the second half and head coach John Rillie lamented his team's inability to make shots.

"The first half, it was like two teams that looked like they were trying to bounce back from tough losses, trying to find their rhythm," Rillie said.

"I thought we did a good job going into half getting a little bit of momentum there.

"Although statistically, like shooting the ball, we weren’t pleasing, but we rebounded well offensively — 13 offensive rebounds.

"That kept us around to try and find a bit of rhythm.

"But then, off the top of my head, the third quarter, they found their rhythm a little quicker than what we did. When we’re not making shots, it puts a lot of heat on our defence, and it just kind of piggybacked off each other.

"I think statistically we beat them in a lot of categories, like shot attempts and all that type of stuff. We just shot a really bad percentage."

Goorjian took Davis out of the ball game before he could hit 40 because he was thinking only of the Kings next stretch of tough ball games on the road.

"I might have thought about it, but I had no idea how many points he had," Goorjian added.

"I just knew he was doing well. I took him off the floor for the next game.

"You watch the league — there were 20-point swings today. Watching the Adelaide–Melbourne game, Melbourne was 20 down just like this and came back, tied it, and took it to overtime.

"So it’s a really insecure feeling, even with five minutes left. You’re 20 down, you’re on the road, you’re not secure.

"But about the three-minute mark, I wasn’t thinking points and I didn’t know what he had. It was just, get him off the floor. Same with Xavier.

"A lot’s been talked about Kendrick, and we’ve been saying there’s no difference tonight than when we lost. Our team, our organisation, was excited to get Kendrick Davis, and Kendrick wanted to come.

"It’s more than we anticipated around him as a teammate. He wants to win. Only basketball — all he cares about. To me, at this stage of my career, he’s one of the special people that I’ve been involved with.

"I see this as something that’ll carry on lifelong. We’re attached at the hip. I’m so proud of him, and I think he’s going to go someplace very, very special before this is finished."

The Kings are right in the middle of a test. They face Melbourne United in Melbourne on Sunday and then the 36ers in Adelaide on Wednesday in a two-game road trip that has the potential to define their top four aspirations heading into the back half of the season.

Key Details

• Result: Sydney Kings 108 def. Perth Wildcats 79
• When: Thursday, 12th December 2025, 6:30 PM AEDT
• Where: RAC Arena, Perth
• Standings

Individual Statistical Leaders

Sydney Kings

• Kendric Davis:
  38 points │ 14–25 FG │ 7–13 3PT │ 8 AST │ +30 │ EFF 36
• Kouat Noi:
  23 points │ 7–10 FG │ 6–8 3PT │ EFF 27
• Xavier Cooks:
  17 points │ 7–7 FG │ 6 REB │ +15 │ EFF 25

Sydney had three players with 23+ points or perfect efficiency stretches.

Perth Wildcats

• Dylan Windler:
  14 points │ 8 REB │ EFF 17
• David Duke Jr:
  13 points │ 7 AST │ –29 plus-minus
• Jo Lual-Acuil Jr:
  6 REB │ 5 OR │ struggled shooting (3–11 FG)

No Perth player reached 15 points.

Quarter-by-Quarter

• Q1: Perth 25 – Sydney 26
• Q2: Perth 17 – Sydney 18
• Halftime: Sydney 44 – Perth 42
• Q3: Perth 21 – Sydney 32
• Q4: Perth 16 – Sydney 32

Second Half: Sydney 64, Perth 37

What Happened

The Kings established early control and never relinquished it, building a narrow 26-25 lead after the opening quarter before exploding in the second half. Sydney outscored Perth 64-37 across the final two periods, with a dominant third quarter proving the difference as they extended their advantage from nine points at half-time to 22 heading into the final frame.

Davis was simply unstoppable throughout the contest, shooting an outstanding 14-from-25 from the field, including a stellar 7-from-13 from downtown. His scoring barrage was complemented by Xavier Cooks, who delivered a perfect shooting performance with seven made field goals from seven attempts for 17 points. Kouat Noi provided additional firepower off the bench, contributing 23 points on efficient 7-from-10 shooting, including an exceptional 6-from-8 from deep.

The Wildcats struggled to find any offensive rhythm, managing just 33.33% shooting from the field compared to Sydney's superb 56.34%. Perth's three-point shooting was particularly disappointing at 31.71%, while the Kings connected on 42.86% of their attempts from beyond the arc. The home side's offensive woes were epitomised by their dismal 16-point fourth quarter, which allowed Sydney to cruise to victory.

David Duke Jnr led Perth's offensive efforts with 13 points and seven assists, while Dylan Windler added 14 points and eight boards. However, their contributions were insufficient against Sydney's balanced attack, which featured four players reaching double figures. The Kings' superior ball movement was evident in their 17 assists compared to Perth's 16, while they also dominated the defensive glass with 36 defensive rebounds to the Wildcats' 25.

This comprehensive victory strengthens Sydney's position in the NBL standings, showcasing their offensive firepower and defensive intensity. Perth will need to regroup quickly and address their shooting struggles, particularly from three-point range, as they look to bounce back from this heavy defeat. The 29-point margin represents one of the more dominant performances of the season, with the Kings demonstrating why they remain genuine top 4 contenders.