Sydney coach Brian Goorjian has issued a call to arms ahead of the Kings' NBL clash with Adelaide, making no attempt to downplay what is set to double as the Kendric Davis grudge match.
Davis was one of the league's biggest recruits of the off-season, inking a one-year deal with Sydney in April after starring with the 36ers last season, his first as an overseas professional.
The gun American point guard finished runner-up to Bryce Cotton - who replaced him at Adelaide - in MVP voting and scoring in 2024-25.
But Davis's exit from Adelaide was acrimonious. Earlier this season, he and since-departed 36er Montrezl Harrell exchanged a war of words.
Davis, the league's third-leading scorer this season while averaging 23.3 points a game, said he felt like he'd been "treated bad", insisted that he "hated some things that went on in Adelaide" and promised that he'd got "extra spice" for Saturday's first meeting with the Sixers.
Harrell responded by telling Davis to "stop being like a bitter ex".
Goorjian, no stranger to being public enemy No.1 in South Australia - most notably when he coached South East Melbourne Magic and Victoria Titans to back-to-back grand final losses against Phil Smyth's Sixers in 1998 and 1999 - is ready for a hot reception in Saturday's clash.
He believes there is no better stage to spark his stalling 1-2 outfit back to life.
"Walk into the fire," he said. "Paint the picture of what we're walking into.
"I think as an organisation, as a team, it's time for us to win a game like this.
"We need to go and win a game like this.
"We know what we're walking into.
"Gloves off. Let's go."
Davis scored 21 points in Wednesday's 117-88 Ignite Cup defeat against Melbourne, but his haul came on a ragged 28 per cent shooting.
Xavier Cooks also contributed 21 points, a tally which could have been significantly greater - and the result potentially reversed - if he could convert some free throws.
Cooks has been way off target from the foul line, his 1-of-10 return against United giving him 1-of-14 for the season.
Otherwise, the Kings star power forward proved a real handful for Melbourne.
"The free-throw shooting is just something he's got to work at and get better at," Goorjian said.
"If you add those misses to our scoreline, we've got a chance to win.
"Putting the ball in his hand, we're trying to have him carry it and play like a 'point forward'.
"He created shots for people, he got on the rim.
"I thought it was a tireless effort - some of the plays he made, the tips, the second-effort shots were huge.
"You look at his numbers - if the free throws go in, that's an MVP-type thing."
