Greatness rises: Goorjian in awe of Davis, Cotton brilliance

Sydney Kings coach Brian Goorjian, during his 871 games in the NBL, has witnessed countless incredible performances on the court.

One to add to that list is Kendric Davis’ incredible Game 3 showing on Sunday against Adelaide.

In front of a record crowd at Qudos Bank Arena, Davis became the first player in league history to have 34 points, 15 assists and 0 turnovers in a game.

Seven-time Coach of the Year Goorjian reflected on his guard’s amazing showing during the post-game press conference.

“You don't play better than that,” Goorjian said.

“You keep talking about all the way through the League, you're seeing the two best in that spot go at each other. It's worth the price of admission. Kendric and Bryce (Cotton) are as good as they get.

“I just think you're seeing greatness, and it's drawn out the best in both.

“Bryce was incredible in Game 2, Kendric hit back tonight.

“You're seeing two teams that are going after each other and want it bad, and the guard play, for both teams, is pretty elite.”

This performance of the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 MVP runner-up is no fluke, though, with Goorjian crediting Davis’ determination for his continued growth on court.

“You can see what he’s trying to do, from shooting the ball, to controlling the flow of the game, to dealing with the pressure, his evolution for a young guard, trying to get everyone involved, [has been incredible],” Goorjian said.

“He’s had the opportunity in this Series, and I think he learnt a lot [about himself] after Game 2.

“His growth both in the past two days, but also the season, is hard to duplicate.

“Maybe I’m built differently, but I like his tenacity and the fact that he, and all the players, are locked in. There’s no talk of where anyone is playing now; we’re all totally invested in this team right now. There’s no talk of tomorrow.

“They want this thing badly, as does Kendric, and we were all really upset after the loss in Game 2.

“He [Davis] is strong-willed, and you got to see that today, with two of the great ones going at it.

“It's one of the best Finals performances that I've been involved in, and we all love him here.”

It wasn’t just six-time champion Goorjian that praised Davis, with big man Tim Soares also in awe of the American’s game.

“I really liked the way he played and picked his moments, which were the biggest parts of the performance,” Soares said.

“Getting people like X (Xavier Cooks), Delly (Matthew Dellavedova), and JG (Jaylin Galloway) was really cool to see.

“Then to also finish with 34, as well as those assists, is [amazing].”

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The Kings now lead the Series 2-1 and head to Adelaide on Wednesday to try and wrap up their franchise’s sixth title.

“That place [Adelaide Entertainment Centre] has always been electric, going back to the day of Phil Smyth and Joey Wright,” Goorjian said.

“We know it’s going to be a hostile and tough environment, but we’re all looking forward to it. This is why we play.”

Game 4 of the Championship Series tips off at 7.30pm AEDT on Wednesday at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, live on ESPN and 10 Drama in Sydney and Adelaide.