Wildcats take winning form into first road test

The Perth Wildcats will chase a fifth straight win when they face the Sydney Kings at Afterpay Arena on Saturday in their first away game of NBL27.

After opening the season with five games at RAC Arena, Perth heads east with a 4-1 record and an opportunity to test its progress against the defending champions.

The Kings return home following consecutive losses, with head coach John Rillie expecting a focused response from Brian Goorjian’s side.

“They’re the champions. They’ve got a lot of their same roster back, so they know who they are,” Rillie said.

“It’s just finding the rhythm and the groove of all of that.”

While Saturday marks Perth’s first interstate game of the regular season, the Wildcats spent much of their preseason travelling, including trips to Bendigo and Japan.

Rillie said the opening home stretch had been welcome, with the team now looking forward to a different challenge.

“We spent all preseason on the road, so to be home for that stretch was nice,” he said.

“We’ve got a great chance to see where we actually sit right now.”

Elijah Pepper heads into the clash having scored 25 points in each of Perth’s past four games, averaging 23.8 points across the opening five rounds.

Dylan Windler is also coming off a career night against New Zealand, scoring 32 points and making seven three-pointers. His 18-point final quarter helped Perth pull away from the Breakers and extend their winning run.

Anthony Dell’Orso has provided another scoring option in his first NBL season, while Brandon Knight has a second opportunity to build combinations with his teammates after making his Wildcats debut last weekend.

Rillie said the group was continuing to develop, with different players capable of influencing games.

“There is an element to this team where there can be different lineups, there can be different personnel influencing the game,” he said.

“It’s great to see how we’re developing, but we won’t know the full product until we can get everyone on the floor.”

Sydney returns to Afterpay Arena looking to respond to consecutive losses, most recently against New Zealand in Canberra on Wednesday.

The Kings have threats across their frontcourt through Xavier Cooks, Torrey Craig and Andrew Carr. With Matthew Dellavedova sidelined, Makuach Maluach and rookie Will Johnston have taken on greater responsibility alongside Kendric Davis in the backcourt.

Maluach has averaged 15.8 points while shooting 61.9 per cent from three-point range, providing another threat for Perth’s defence.

Sydney guard Kendric Davis presents a major challenge, averaging 22.8 points and 7.4 assists per game.

Rillie said limiting Davis's influence would require a collective effort, alongside a sustained focus on stopping Sydney’s transition offence.

“They prey on teams that have lapses throughout the game,” he said.

“They’re so explosive scoring in transition that it can be a game and then it can blow out to 10, 15 points really quickly.”

Saturday will also mark Angus Brandt’s 100th appearance for the Wildcats.

The two-time championship centre has brought valuable experience to Perth’s frontcourt since returning to the Wildcats, and will play in the milestone game against his former NBL side, the Sydney Kings.

Brandt and the Wildcats will look to make it a milestone to celebrate as Perth takes their winning form on the road.

Watch live on ESPN, with coverage also available on Channel 9 and 9Now.

Kristian Doolittle (foot) has been ruled out of Saturday night's away game against the Sydney Kings. He will be replaced in the lineup by Nominated Replacement Player Jimmy Whitt. Development Player Marley Sam has also traveled with the team and will be active on the roster.