The Sydney Kings opened their National Basketball League (NBL) title defense with a commanding 111-90 victory over the Cairns Taipans at home on Sunday. The win was highlighted by the performance of American guard Kendric Davis, last season’s NBL grand final MVP, who scored 26 points along with five rebounds and six assists despite limited preparation after arriving in Australia just last weekend.
Davis started modestly with five points in the first quarter but gradually found his rhythm, reaching his 18th consecutive game scoring 20 or more points. The game remained tightly contested for much of the first half, with the Kings maintaining a lead slightly above six points until Davis and veteran Matthew Dellavedova combined to extend the margin with back-to-back three-pointers in the third quarter. Dellavedova, who turned 36 recently, contributed 12 points and demonstrated his veteran poise in the outing, marking his second three-pointer of the quarter as the Kings pulled ahead by 17 points by the end of the third.
The Kings then accelerated in the final quarter to put the game out of reach, securing a comfortable win to start the season on a high note. Sunday’s game also celebrated the unveiling of Sydney’s sixth championship banner, an event accompanied by vibrant lights and smoke effects to honor the club’s recent success.
For Cairns, Keanu Pinder stood out in his first game with the team in three years. The forward led the Taipans with 27 points, five rebounds, and four assists, already showing significant impact by halftime with a game-high 16 points despite picking up three fouls early in the contest. Veteran guard Shaun Bruce, returning to Cairns after four previous seasons and regarded as one of the league’s best sledgers, came off the bench and finished with 13 points and two rebounds. Bruce had limited minutes in the first half due to two early fouls but contributed notably in the second half.
In a touching moment off the court, the Sydney Kings welcomed the presence of Jai Arrow, the rugby league player currently battling motor neurone disease, who was courtside to receive support from the basketball community. Arrow, who recently celebrated his 100th NRL match milestone, was joined by fellow NRL player Martin Taupau, reflecting the strong connection between sporting codes in the region.
The Kings will look to build on this strong debut performance as they seek to defend their title, while Cairns will aim to regroup after the loss and leverage the contributions of key players like Pinder and Bruce in upcoming fixtures.