The Brisbane Bullets have walked away with a big win over Perth, matching last season’s win tally in just 11 games under Will Weaver, while the loss has proven costly for the Wildcats as they continue to slide down the NBL standings.
All this and more in NBL Wrap.
‘IT’S GOING TO BE A BIG ARSE STORY!’
The Brisbane Bullets have now won six games this season, matching last year’s tally when they finished bottom of the standings with a 6-27 record. Now, under Weaver, they sit comfortably in fourth with a 6-5 record.
Their 109-104 win over the Wildcats didn’t come without stress, with the Bullets almost surrendering a 27-point lead midway through the third quarter, while Weaver found himself in a heated exchange with an official.
There were several storylines to emerge from the contest, including an injury concern for import Raul Neto, who was forced to the sidelines after a dominant first half in which he scored 10 points and dished out eight assists.
An apparent hamstring injury prompted Weaver to take no chances, resting the NBA veteran for the remainder of the game, with the coach explaining why he played it safe.
“It was just precaution,” he said.
“He just felt a little bit of tightness and we don’t mess around with putting our players at risk, regardless of what the score is. So, yeah, precautionary for sure.
“I just talked to him. He feels fine.”
For Bullets import Jaylin Williams, who has had a modest start to his NBL career, he added 13 points, four rebounds, five assists and two blocks in another encouraging performance, continuing to do the little things right for his side.
“It was pretty entertaining,” he said.
“We had guys come in and make great plays. I feel like it was one of the top games I’ve played this year.
“We were up 27 but then only up by two in the fourth quarter, but the boys stuck to it and won well.”
There were also some stressful moments for Weaver, who is usually a cool-headed figure on the sidelines, but wasn’t afraid to voice his frustrations over several calls he believed the officials had missed.
Early in the fourth quarter, NBL veteran Mitch Norton received an inadvertent blow to the throat from Wildcats import Dylan Windler, with Weaver risking an ejection as he confronted official Vaughan Mayberry.
“If one more player gets elbowed in the face or neck I am going to get f****** thrown out!” Weaver said.
“It’s going to be a big arse story!”
Beyond the sideline frustrations, Weaver was pleased with the relentless pressure his side applied against the Wildcats, explaining that the mindset extends beyond their defensive schemes and into how they approach the game.
“Sometimes pressure comes different schemes and there might be a little more nuance, we’re always applying pressure,” he said.
“We are always applying pressure on our strengths against your weaknesses and they’re (Perth) trying to do the same thing, but it’s who does that better.
“I was really proud of the guys, like we emphasise driving the basketball and we barely settled for any jumpers except for the catch and shoot threes that we got.”
The Bullets can now celebrate another important victory, but their attention quickly turns to one of the competition’s hottest teams in Melbourne United.
With the chance to move two games above .500 for the season, Weaver’s side will need to bring the same intensity against a United outfit that continues to build momentum.
WILDCATS’ SLOW STARTS PROVE COSTLY
The Perth Wildcats are officially in a form slump, losing their last three games after a dominant start to the season.
They now sit sixth on the NBL standings with a 5-5 record and remain winless on the road.
Despite eventually falling by just five points, the Wildcats found themselves trailing early and were down by as many as 27 points in the third quarter, having never led throughout the contest.
A 61-46 second half fuelled their comeback, with Perth shooting an impressive 16-of-32 (50%) from beyond the arc for the game, but for head coach John Rillie, the club’s first-half struggles remain a major concern.
“The scoreboard doesn’t reflect the way we wanted to finish,” Rillie said.
“The last three games we got off to some sluggish starts. Our second halves over the last three games have been tremendous. But we’ve dug ourselves in these holes. So that’s something that we’re going to have to really look at and how do we adjust and change the momentum at the start of the games.
“So it’s been our story for three games now.”
For sharpshooter Elijah Pepper, who knocked down a big three-pointer on the buzzer to end the third quarter and finished with 19 points, the frustration is growing over the team’s inability to put together a complete performance.
“It is tough because obviously the way we fought back in the second half is a good sign in the way we went about things,” he said.
“But we can’t be having that start at the beginning of the games.
“I mean, our goal is to win championships. And I don’t think a team that wants to win a championship can start a game down, what, 20 at halftime? So I mean, it’s just the way we go about things before the game.”
Across their three consecutive losses, the Wildcats have struggled to compete in the opening half, only to emerge from the main break looking like a completely different team.
However, those slow starts have left them with too much work to do, forcing the side to expend significant energy just to get back into games.
Despite the result, Pepper praised his teammates for refusing to give up, with their second-half fightback almost producing an unlikely victory.
“The run we made was really, really good,” he said.
“I mean, I think they (Brisbane) went on a run to start the third, and that’s one of those things where that could have ballooned to 35, 40.
“But we were able to reel it back in and get it down to low teens going into the fourth and get a little momentum going. And think Cam (Huefner) and Alex (Higgins-Titsha) had some really good positive momentum plays.”
One positive to emerge from the loss was the performance of young forward Alex Higgins-Titsha, who played his most minutes since joining the Wildcats.
In just 14 minutes off the bench, Higgins-Titsha recorded 11 points and five rebounds, finishing with a team-high plus/minus of +20.
For Rillie, the performance was a reward for the young forward’s patience and positive attitude, having waited for an opportunity to show why he can become an important part of the Wildcats’ rotation.
“I don’t know exactly, but over the last three, four games, like, obviously, the minutes don’t reflect, but he’s been really positive in his minutes,” Rillie said.
“Tonight he had extended minutes and he did really well. He brings a nice energy and versatility, he brings a different dynamic to our front court. And tonight you saw how he can have an impact with our group when he was out there.
“And what I really liked is he kept his game really simple, especially at the offensive end, like he moved and played well off his teammates and was really efficient.”
The Wildcats now turn their attention to the Cairns Taipans as they begin a three-game home stretch, before embarking on one of their toughest road trips of the season.
With an injury cloud also hanging over new import Brandon Knight, who suffered a hamstring injury, Rillie will need contributions from across his roster as Perth looks to snap its losing streak and climb back up the standings.
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