Wildcats clinch Finals berth with 16th win

The Perth Wildcats have all but locked away second position on the NBL ladder after riding a fast start to a 103-91 win over a spirited South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Shocked at home by Illawarra two days ago, the Wildcats set up their bounceback victory by outscoring the Phoenix 29-17 in the opening quarter at Melbourne's State Basketball Centre on Saturday night.

Keanu Pinder (23 points, 11 rebounds) and Bryce Cotton (21 points, eight assists) were prominent for Perth, while French teen sensation Alex Sarr (18 points, five blocks), touted as the No.1 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, was a menace at both ends in the paint.

After stunning Sydney on Thursday, the Phoenix - with Gary Browne (groin), Alan Williams (knee), Matt Kenyon (hip) and Craig Moller (knee) sidelined - battled bravely to the finish line, piloted by captain Mitch Creek (29 points) and Ben Ayre (23), but were left to rue a sorry start.

The home side were wayward early, missing 18 of their first 25 shots, while allowing Perth to score at will and hit 14 of their first 19 attempts.

A scoring spree either side of quarter time saw the Wildcats turn a 22-17 lead into a 34-17 one with 216cm Sarr influential.

The towering 18-year-old rejected Kody Stattmann's dunk attempt then threw down a vicious dunk on Kody Stattmann as Perth's lead blew out to 53-34 before the Phoenix, behind the inspirational lone hand of Creek (18 first-half points), trimmed the margin to 59-46 at the main interval.

Sarr continued to wreak havoc inside but Ayre and Owen Foxwell combined to harass Cotton defensively and give Creek some belated support on offence.

The Phoenix closed the gap to single digits in the fourth but time was their enemy, as was the initial scoreboard damage.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 17

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 91 (Creek 29, Ayre 23, Foxwell 10)

PERTH WILDCATS 103 (Pinder 23, Cotton 21, Sarr 18)

BOX SCORE