'Cats and Bryce deny Kyle and Phoenix a fairytale

Kyle Adnam went ever so close to shooting the South East Melbourne Phoenix to what would have been a remarkable comeback victory but Bryce Cotton and the Perth Wildcats held on for the 93-92 win at the NBL Cup.

This was already the fifth time this season that the two teams have met but it was the first time where the Phoenix didn’t have star import point guard Keifer Sykes. 

He sat out for his second straight game with an ankle complaint joining Adam Gibson and Dane Pineau sidelined with the NBA-credentialed Ryan Broekhoff still in quarantine, and the Wildcats took full advantage early.

The reigning champs blew the game open late in the first quarter to lead by double-figures before superstar Bryce Cotton lit it up like only the dual MVP can in the second period. 

He had 13 points in the quarter alone and had put on quite the show with 17 first half points with 4/8 shooting from deep, and the 'Cats were in control up 16 on the back of 12 offensive rebounds leading them to taking 16 extra shots than the Phoenix.

But Adnam wasn’t going to let slip his chance to make a statement as a starter in the absence of Sykes. He already had 16 points in the first half but didn’t stop there and put up a career-best 28 including another huge triple with 44 seconds to go to tie scores up.

Cotton responded with a brilliant drive and tough reverse layup before Adnam found Ben Moore to throw it down and tie scores up again.

Cotton was holding the ball for a late shot guarded by Cam Gliddon when a foul was called, and Cotton made one but the Phoenix had one more chance down one. 

Adnam took the three over the outstretched hand of Mitch Norton but it rattled off the front of the rim and Perth held on to win by one to improve to 6-3 overall this season and to remain perfect at 4-0 in the NBL Cup.

Cotton ended the game with another 28 points and four assists while Todd Blanchfield stepped up again for 19 points and five rebounds. John Mooney impressed once more too with 16 points and 11 rebounds with his chemistry with Cotton especially effective.

Captain Jesse Wagstaff also hit three triples for Perth for 11 points while Mitch Norton dished out eight assists.

Wildcats coach Trevor Gleeson was proud of the character of his team to hold on for the victory.

"It was really good for our character to get that. To be in that position and to hold on when the run of the game is going against you, we probably haven’t got the experience that we've had in the past from the changeover in personnel," Gleeson said. 

"We had layups that we missed that would bounce out, we missed foul shots and there was a lot of stuff that was going against us in that little part. So I was pretty happy with how the guys finished the game actually."

Adnam ended the game with a career-best 28 points while hitting 5/10 from three-point land to go with three assists in his second game starting in Sykes' absence.

Mitch Creek fought valiantly for 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists with Cam Gliddon adding 12 points and four rebounds, and Ben Moore 11 points and seven boards.

Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell knows that ultimately the loss was based on digging their own hole in the first half even though they showed good fight in the end.

"It's disappointing to dig that hole for ourselves and it's all self-inflicted. Perth were excellent but when you play them there are two things you cannot do under circumstances," Mitchell said.

"You can't turn the ball over and you can't miss out on box outs, and we just repeatedly self-inflicted wounds in that first half. It was 12 offensive boards we had given up at the half and we only had 10 rebounds, and that's disastrous for us. 

"We have a bit of character in the sense that  we were always going to have a crack to try and bring it back, but it's just disappointing that we continue to dig these holes. We've got to find our way around it and it has to come from the guys who are suiting up. 

"We've just got to do better and we have to find that way of turning the switch on very quickly."

Perth is next up at the NBL Cup against the Brisbane Bullets on Friday while the Phoenix face the Sydney Kings on Saturday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 8
NBL CUP WEEK 3

PERTH WILDCATS 93 (Cotton 28, Blanchfield 19, Mooney 16)

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 92 (Adnam 28, Creek 19, Gliddon 12) 

POINTS AWARDED – Perth Wildcats 5, South East Melbourne Phoenix 2

BOX SCORE