Phoenix snatch it at death in Perth

The South East Melbourne Phoenix shook off a 26-point first half and a 16-point deficit to fire back in the second half with John Brown III the ultimate hero for the 77-76 win over the Perth Wildcats.

The Wildcats dominated the Thursday night match up at RAC Arena in the first half to lead 40-26 by the break having turned the tide on the Phoenix with their own version of full court defence.

The Phoenix were struggling to find any flow still without Malique Lewis and Owen Foxwell, but Jordan Hunter got them back into the game in the third quarter with his three-point shooting, and then Nathan Sobey came up huge in the fourth.

Then with the Wildcats leading by two after David Duke Jr went 1/2 at the foul line, Dylan Windler was called for the hooking foul on Brown III before the ball was inbounded.

That was his fifth and allowed Brown III to make the foul shot to bring his team within one and still in possession.

Coming out of a timeout, Sobey couldn’t get a good look, but dished off to Brown III at the foul line for him to knock down the jumper to win the game for the Phoenix and shock the Red Army who were seeing their team play live for the last time in a month.

South East Melbourne might have shot 35 per cent from the floor and went 10/37 from three, but they won the possession game with 19 offensive rebounds to 13 to end up taking 12 more shots than Perth.

That ended up being crucial in the final result that improves the Phoenix to 12-6 on the season to stay in third place with Hunter continuing the best shooting season of his career hitting 4/10 from deep for 18 points and eight rebounds.

Sobey also went 4/9 from long range for 16 points, five rebounds and five assists to continue the best form of his career at 35 years of age while Brown III ended up with eight points, five rebounds and two steals.

Angus Glover also stepped up with 10 points, six rebounds and two assists for the Phoenix, and Hunter Maldonado seven points, five boards and three assists.

It will be a bitter pill for the Wildcats to swallow as they now head on the road for the next month clinging to fifth spot at 10-9 having shot just 41 per cent from the field and going 6/24 from downtown.

David Duke Jr finished with 21 points, five assists and three rebounds for the 'Cats with Elijah Pepper contributing 17 points and three boards, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr 15 points and six rebounds, and Dylan Windler 10 points, 11 boards, four assists and two blocks.

The Wildcats have now played their last game at RAC Arena until HoopsFest with their first assignment this Sunday on the road to the Tasmania JackJumpers while the Phoenix are back to John Cain Arena on Saturday against the Brisbane Bullets.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26

PERTH WILDCATS 76 (Duke Jr 21, Pepper 17, Lual-Acuil Jr 15)

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 77 (Hunter 18, Sobey 16, Glover 10)

BOX SCORE