How to watch & talking points: Sydney v Perth

Sydney Kings v Perth Wildcats
Saturday, October 17, 7.30pm AEDT
Afterpay Arena

>> Play Mega Rewards NBL Tipping for your chance to win cash

How to watch

Watch every NBL27 game live on ESPN, and Saturday night hoops on 9Go! and 9Now.

>> How to watch ESPN

Tickets

>> Ticketing information

How to follow & live scores

Live scores, stats, breaking news and game highlights are available via the free NBL App.

>> Visit Game Centre | Download the free NBL App

Rosters

Sydney

Expected depth chart:
PG: Davis (IP) / Johnston / Hanson (DP)
SG: Maluach / Robertson / Stone / Dellavedova (out)
SF: Craig (IP) / Bofinger (NRP)
PF: Cooks / Machar (DP)
C: Carr (IP/NRP) / Wessels / Spurgin / Leaupepe (out)

Perth

Expected depth chart:
PG: Knight (IP) / Rillie (DP) / Sam (DP) / Whitt (NRP)
SG: Pepper / Dell'Orso / Kopa (DP)
SF: Windler (IP) / Huefner / Nielsen (DP) (out)
PF: Doolittle (IP) / Higgins-Titsha / Wagstaff
C: Brandt / Lual-Acuil Jr. (out)

Missing in action

Sydney

Matthew Dellavedova - Calf - Round 7
Keli Leaupepe - ACL - Season

Perth

Kristian Doolittle - Foot - TBC
Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. - Calf - TBC
Blake Nielsen - ACL - Season

>> View full injury list

Talking points

Sydney’s skid

The reigning champions have lost two straight – with a tough home loss to Adelaide, followed by a disappointing Ignite Cup result against the New Zealand Breakers.

The task for Brian Goorjian’s men doesn’t get any easier, with one of the hottest teams in the Perth Wildcats coming to town with last season’s Playoff exit still fresh in their minds.

Kendric Davis was unusually quiet in the second half of that Breakers loss and will be looking to shake that off against the Wildcats and make a statement.

Next man up

With Kristian Doolittle ruled out due to a foot injury, the responsibility falls back on others to step up, just as they did before Brandon Knight's arrival.

Knight is expecting to play more minutes and up his playmaking load, while the likes of Elijah Pepper, Anthony Dell'orso, Dylan Windler and even veteran Jesse Wagstaff have stood up in key moments this year.

John Rillie has built this group to win with different line-ups and different players influencing the game, but without Doolittle and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. it's not going to be easy against the reigning champions.