Tonight could be the final chapter of the 2025–26 NBL season.
If the Sydney Kings take Game Four of the Championship Series, they’ll secure a third title in five years and bring the season to a close. For both sides, it doesn’t get bigger than this.
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From Matthew Dellavedova and his relentless defence on the reigning MVP, to a streaky shooter fighting for impact, and a key forward whose pass-first mindset is under the spotlight, these are the biggest talking points heading into tonight’s decider.
This is the latest edition ofNBL Talking Points.
GAME 4 LIVE: Follow the build-up and action from Adelaide here
THE TALE OF TWO HALVES FOR HIGH-FLYING 36ERS STAR
The league’s leading rebounder Zylan Cheatham hasn’t had a poor Championship Series, but his reluctance to shoot is becoming a real issue.
Through the first three games, Cheatham is averaging 9.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists on 46.3% shooting. Game three was easily his best outing, finishing with 17 points and 10 boards.
There’s a clear pattern. During the season, Adelaide went 5-0 in games where he had 12 or more field goal attempts. When he’s aggressive, he’s close to unstoppable. Instead, he’s leaned heavily into being a connector, often deferring to Bryce Cotton and prioritising ball movement over his own offence.
That balance has tipped too far. There were multiple moments in the last game where Cheatham had a clean lane to the rim but chose to pass, a decision that feels more mental than tactical.
Speaking on NBL Overtime, Derek Rucker pointed to his inconsistency across games.
“Cheatham also the other night, he had no points in the first half of game two and then scores all his points in the second half. They just need more consistent production.”
Damon Lowery echoed that view, suggesting Cheatham isn’t reaching his ceiling.
“Zylan isn’t playing to the level that he’s capable of because again, too much focus is being placed on getting Bryce the ball.”
At his best, Cheatham is one of the most explosive players in the league, and one of the few, alongside Isaac Humphries and Nick Rakocevic, who can genuinely match Sydney’s size and length.
Game four now looms as a defining moment. Adelaide doesn’t just need Cheatham involved, it needs him assertive.
‘WE’RE BRINGING THE SAME DEFENSIVE TENACITY TO BRYCE IN GAME 4’
Brian Goorjian made it clear on a Big Sports Breakfast radio interview this week he won’t be adjusting Sydney’s defensive approach on Bryce Cotton, despite pushback from Adelaide coach Mike Wells, who believes Matthew Dellavedova has crossed the line physically.
That sets the tone for tonight. Cotton will have to deal with relentless, body-on-body defence, and accept that Dellavedova isn’t easing up. At home, the whistle should lean his way, which means plenty of trips to the free throw line.
Still, there’s a cost.
The physical toll doesn’t stop when Cotton has the ball. He’s also tasked with defending Dellavedova, a role that can wear down even the fittest players over four quarters.
South East Melbourne coach Josh King broke it down on NBL Now, pointing to the hidden work being done against Cotton.
“They’re also posting Deli up on offence and that wears Bryce down, into his legs. It’s like him hitting a punching bag. He’s got to absorb that contact every trip, and that gets into his quads. Deli is doing a job on offence too.”
Cotton’s engine is as good as anyone’s in the league, but even he has limits. In a must-win setting, the question isn’t just whether he can score, it’s whether he can absorb the punishment and still deliver.
If he does, Adelaide stays alive. If not, it could be the end of the road.
THE RISE OF JOHN JENKINS
John Jenkins has had a mixed start to life in Adelaide after replacing Troy Brown Jr., but one thing hasn’t changed, he can still shoot the ball at a high clip.
Across 16 NBL games, his form has come in waves. In his first six, Jenkins looked the part, averaging 15.0 points while knocking down 23 threes at 44.9 per cent. The numbers were strong, even if the team record, 2-4, wasn’t.
That stretch was followed by a sharp drop-off. Over the next eight games, his role shrank and so did his output, just 3.7 points per game, shooting 20% from deep. His minutes nearly halved, falling from 25.1 to 13.1, and his impact faded with it.
Now, the shot is falling again.
Over his last two games, Jenkins has reminded everyone what he brings. In just over 21 minutes a night, he’s putting up 18.0 points and hitting 10 of 18 from three, a jump to 55.5% that’s flipped his form on its head.
Speaking on NBL Overtime, Damon Lowery wants more.
“John Jenkins is coming off the bench. He’s only playing a handful of minutes.
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“I think he should be in the starting line-up. He needs to be a 30-minute guy, and have plays run for him. That will absolutely alleviate the pressure off Mr Cotton.”
Whether or not that change comes, the message is clear. Adelaide needs to lean into this hot streak. With Bryce Cotton carrying such a heavy load, a firing Jenkins could be the release valve that keeps their season alive.
LOVE HIM OR HATE HIM, KENDRIC DAVIS IS THE FUTURE
Kendric Davis has been at the centre of it all.
From his MVP rant on Instagram Live to the heated exchanges with Bryce Cotton in Games Two and Three, it’s been months full of emotion, noise, and scrutiny. Ask around and you’ll get split opinions, competitor or sore loser, depending on who’s talking.
What’s clear is that none of it has slowed him down.
After the Game Two flashpoint, where he went face-to-face with Cotton post-loss, Davis responded with one of the cleanest performances you’ll see. He put up 34 points and 15 assists without a single turnover, shooting 57.9% from the field. It wasn’t just a response, it was a statement.
Post-game, the 26-year-old made his ambition clear. He wants to be “the future of this league”.
If Sydney gets the job done tonight and Davis delivers again, it’s hard to see Finals MVP going anywhere else. Given how narrowly he missed out on the regular season MVP to Cotton, by just two votes, a championship might carry even more weight.
What’s stood out most is his control. Davis has 28 assists for the series and just three turnovers, an elite 9.3 assist-to-turnover ratio, all while leading the offence with 26.3 points per game.
Now it comes down to one night.
This game will be remembered either way, but the tone of it, the story that sticks, sits with Davis. If he leads Sydney to a title, it likely ends with a composed, defining moment. If not, the narrative shifts again.
Either way, expect the Adelaide crowd to let him hear it. For a player wired like Davis, that usually brings out his best.