Bullets survive Wildcats' second-half fightback

The Brisbane Bullets put up 63 points to half-time with Raul Neto dishing out eight assists, but he didn’t return and the Perth Wildcats made a furious fightback only for the home team to hold on to win 109-104.

The Bullets were playing a home game in a third different venue already this season returning to Nissan Arena on Wednesday night for the Ignite Cup by 7-Eleven match up after winning in Adelaide on Sunday.

Perth arrived playing just a second away game so far of NBL27 and trying to avoid a third straight defeat, but that became a significantly tougher challenge with a blistering start from the Bullets.

The Bullets raced out to an 11-2 start and were leading 37-22 following a stunning first quarter which was every bit as good from them as it was as poor from the visitors.

Brisbane were then still leading 63-43 by half-time with Neto already having 10 points and eight assists, but the triple Olympian with Brazil didn’t return in the second half.

The Bullets then led by a game-high 27 four minutes into the second half only for the Wildcats to outscore them 41-16 over the next 11 minutes to get back within two.

From there, Brisbane did enough to steady with three balls to Taine Murray and Lat Mayen, and clutch free throws from captain Mitch Norton in the absence of Neto huge in the eventual five-point win.

The Bullets improve to 6-5 with the win with Tyrell Harrison top scoring with 16 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks even while playing just 21 minutes.

Murray hit two massive late threes for 14 points with three rebounds and three assists with Nate Hinton contributing 13 points, eight boards, four assists and two blocks, and Jaylin Williams 13 points, five assists and four rebounds.

Mayen also enjoyed things against his team of last season with 14 points on 3/4 long-range shooting with captain Norton having 13 points, four rebounds and three assists, and Archie Woodhill seven points, three boards and two assists.

The Wildcats have now lost three straight to be 5-5 with Kristian Doolittle finishing with 24 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and two blocks with 5/8 three-point shooting.

Anthony Dell'Orso added 20 points, five rebounds and two assists, Elijah Pepper 19 points and five rebounds, Alex Higgins-Titsha 11 points while being +20 in 14 minutes, Cam Huefner eight points and five rebounds, and Jesse Wagstaff five points in game 550.

Coming off their confidence building win in Adelaide on Sunday, the Bullets came out and blitzed the Wildcats from the outset racing out to an 11-2 lead.

That was soon a 14-4 and 25-11 advantage for the Bullets before finally John Rillie called a timeout for the Wildcats with 3:44 to go in the quarter.

Still, by the end of the period the Bullets were up 37-22 on 15/24 shooting from the field with 6/11 from the outside to the 8/18 and 2/5 from the 'Cats.

Nate Hinton had eight points, three rebounds and two assists for Brisbane, with Raul Neto running a clinic with six assists already, while Perth only had four as a team.

The Wildcats did offer a brief flurry in the second quarter to close the gap to 14, but the Bullets had all the answers including a huge block from Jaylin Williams on Angus Brandt up one end.

Brandt then had his ankles broken up the other leading to a bucket from his former Wildcats championship teammate Mitch Norton, and the Bullets retained control going into half-time leading 63-43.

The home team were still shooting 24/42 from the field and 9/19 from deep opposed to 15/37 and 5/12 with Williams having a strong all-round game with 10 points, three rebounds and four assists with 2/3 three-point shooting.

Neto was already up to 10 points and eight assists too while Lat Mayen marked his return with eight points and going 2/2 from the outside.

It was captain Mitch Norton out there to start the second half for the Bullets with Neto forced to sit and he capped off a 6-0 run to start which pushed the lead out to a game high 26.

Perth did cut the Brisbane lead back to 81-68 by three quarter-time and also won an Ignite Cup point in the process when Elijah Pepper drained a three on the buzzer on an offensive rebound following a missed free-throw.

Perth hit the first five points of the fourth quarter to get it back to a single figure ball game for the first time since the opening quarter and then Kristian Doolittle hit from deep to bring it back to five with 6:05 to play.

Following a Will Weaver timeout, Doolittle hit another triple for the 'Cats and it was a two-point ball game but it was Kiwi Taine Murray the steadying influence for the home team with two massive three-pointers to get them back up 12 with three to play.

Lat Mayen then closed the door on his team of last season with a third three of the game with the Bullets holding on for the five-point win.

Both teams back up again to play over the weekend with the Bullets on the road to Melbourne United on Saturday night while the Wildcats return home to play the Cairns Taipans on Sunday.

BRISBANE BULLETS 109 – PERTH WILDCATS 104

Brisbane Bullets
Tyrell Harrison – 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Taine Murray – 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Lat Mayen – 14 points, 3/4 3PT
Nate Hinton – 13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks
Jaylin Williams – 13 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds

Perth Wildcats
Kristian Doolittle – 24 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds
Anthony Dell'Orso – 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Elijah Pepper – 19 points, 5 rebounds, 4/10 3PT
Alex Higgins-Titsha – 11 points, 5 rebounds, +20
Dylan Windler – 8 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists