Preview: New Zealand v Perth - Round 14, NBL24

Thursday, January 4, 2024

Two of the hottest teams in the league clash in a Sunday afternoon blockbuster.

Two of the hottest teams in the league clash when the New Zealand Breakers, riding a four-game win streak, host Bryce Cotton's second-placed Perth Wildcats.

Whenandwhere

Sunday, January 7 at 2:00pm AEDT | Spark Arena

Howtofollow

Watch: Live and free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies, 10 Peach and 10 Play, Sky Sport in NZ | International viewership details
Box scores: Download the free NBL App

Anoverview

Despite injuries to key players all season, the Breakers have gotten healthy and have seemingly turned the ship around – pulling off four straight wins against some of the league’s best teams.

With the returns of Zylan Cheatham and Will McDowell-White, the Breakers are finally looking like the team they were projected to be after their Championship Series appearance last season.

Next Star Mantas Rubstavicius, former NBA player Anthony Lamb and All-NBL contender Parker Jackson-Cartwright have all made significant contributions to New Zealand’s run and prove just how deep this Breakers team is. If the Breakers can claim this win at home, it will improve them to an even 9-9 record.

The Wildcats will make the journey to Spark Arena this weekend with high hopes, coming off a dominant 18-point victory over Adelaide last round.

Cotton has been the man once again, averaging 30.2 points in his last four games and leading the Wildcats to a 3-1 record since mid-December.

With individual stand-out performances from Jordan Usher (23 points against Melbourne), Kristian Dolittle (17 points and 16 rebounds against Cairns) and Jesse Wagstaff (10 points and five rebounds against Tasmania), trying to identify who will be Cotton’s co-star has fluctuated between games, a credit to the depth John Rillie has at his disposal.

Projected number one NBA draft pick Alex Sarr will miss the next 2-3 weeks due to a hip injury, in a blow for Perth.

Formguides

New Zealand
98-93 win over Tasmania
109-101 win over Sydney
81-71 win over Brisbane

Perth
100-82 win over Adelaide
105-102 win over Cairns
102-109 loss to Melbourne

Playerstowatch

Jordan Usher
Having an up-and-down season, Jordan Usher has put his ego aside for the success of the club in NBL24.

In his NBL debut, he scored an impressive 35 points against Tasmania, before being moved into the second unit in Round 6 due to poor form. Despite this, Usher has not taken it personally and the team has benefited from his selflessness.

“It’s never a hit to the ego,” Usher told The West Australian’s The Dribble Podcast.

“But I’m here to win games, and I’m here to provide what the team needs and bring that next championship to the Perth Wildcats. That is truly my only intention.”

Averaging 13.5 points per game, Usher can swing the momentum of any game as a high-level threat off the bench. In Perth’s last two wins, he scored a combined 20 points in under 47 minutes.

The biggest knock on Usher in those wins was his efficiency, only making 6-16 attempts against Cairns and Adelaide. If he can produce more effectively in those minutes, Perth will have a serious x-factor against the Breakers.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">JORDAN USHER HAS ICE IN HIS VEINS ?? <a href="https://t.co/jT2YSSRP9u">pic.twitter.com/jT2YSSRP9u</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1721477161390104634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Mangok Mathiang
The former Charlotte Hornet has seen a resurgence in his career after devastating injuries, and has played a key role in New Zealand's win streak. In the Breakers' four wins, he has averaged 10.4 points, with 14 points against Sydney and 16 against the JackJumpers, displaying his athleticism and size across this stretch.

“I’ve been liking the way Mango has played for a while now, it’s probably over a month where he’s really turned it up,” coach Mody Moar said.

“He’s leading us in defensive rating, he’s one of the best rebounders in the league… he’s really anchored us in different coverages. He’s settling into his role well.”

Against the Wildcats, Mathiang has the chance to disrupt Perth with his speed and defensive impact.

Thematchup

Parker Jackson-Cartwright vs Bryce Cotton
Two of the premier guards in the league will go head-to-head at Spark Arena.

Cotton sits first in points per game, overtaking Jackson-Cartwright who now sits third behind teammate Anthony Lamb.

Jackson-Cartwright has 11 20+ point games, adding to his tally last round against the JackJumpers with a clean 27 points. On the other side of the ball, he has been just as impressive, with coach Maor praising his ability to set the tone on the defensive end as the point of attack.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">How did he get that to fall? ?<br><br>Parker Jackson-Cartwright with the incredible finish ??<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo | Sky Sport in NZ ? <a href="https://t.co/D0ZW5PvFFq">pic.twitter.com/D0ZW5PvFFq</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1725090655045591263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

While Cotton isn’t as potent as a defender, he remains the league’s best scorer, night in and night out able to unleash for 30 points and swing the pendulum of any game – shown last Thursday with a Player of the Game performance with 24 points and four triples.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">That is just what Bryce Cotton ???? ?<br><br>Catch this thrilling ending live on ESPN via Kayo <a href="https://t.co/v4e5yWtW5B">pic.twitter.com/v4e5yWtW5B</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1738515113466888612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Thestat