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Goorjian wants Kings to embrace heat in Adelaide

Sydney Kings coach Brian Goorjian feels the time is now for his team to make a statement and go into Adelaide on Saturday night and come away victorious.
Brian Goorjian has full faith in his Sydney Kings to figure things out including doing better going small and Xavier Cooks' free-throw woes while he wants them to embrace what they are walking into in Adelaide.
The Kings are now 1-2 to start NBL26 following Wednesday night's 14-point loss at home to Melbourne United but all eyes immediately turn to their clash with the 36ers in Adelaide on Saturday night.
It's one of the most hotly anticipated match ups of the season with Kendric Davis' first return to his former home floor after he starred with the Sixers as the MVP runner-up in NBL25.
There's no love lost either from the new Sydney star guard or from the 36ers towards him meaning it's going to be a tension-filled environment come Saturday night, and Goorjian wants the Kings to fully embrace that atmosphere.
"We walk into the fire and will paint the picture of what we're walking into, and as an organisation and as a team it's time for us to win a game like this," Goorjian said.
"It's early in the year and we're starting to get going and everything, and getting better, but we need to go and win a game like this. We know what we're walking into, gloves off and let's go."
It turned out to be a night of mixed fortunes for Cooks for the Kings against United as well. He did so much right in the 32 minutes he was on the court finishing with 21 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots while shooting 10/14 from the field.
Those numbers stack up favourably to his MVP season but his free-throw struggles also denied Sydney a chance to keep pace with Melbourne when he missed his first eight attempts in the game and ended up going 1/10.
He has gone 1/14 for the season now and Goorjian knows it must be something he improves, but he liked so much else that he did throughout the evening.
"It's just something that he's got to work at and get better at," Goorjian said.
"By putting the ball in his hands, we're trying to have him carry it and play like a point forward and then in the post position, having him pull their five out and letting him play off the bounce.
"They played big so the match up on X was difficult for them so they had a big body on him, and he was creating shots for people, he got on the rim and I thought it was a tireless effort.
"You look at his numbers if the free throws go in and that's an MVP type thing, and you add that to our scoreline and we've got a chance to win."
