Rillie: Jones’ role bigger than stats

The Perth Wildcats ground out their first win on the 2025-26 Hungry Jack's NBL season on Saturday, edging New Zealand by 11 points at Spark Arena.

The key moment in this Round 2 win came in the fourth quarter, when the Wildcats went on a 22-0 run.

But one man who wasn't on the court for that pivotal moment in the game was Wildcats star Mason Jones.

While the 51-NBA game veteran went 0-8 from the field, on his way to just two points, two assists and one rebound in his 21 minutes on the court, coach Rillie jumped to the defence of his floor general.

“This is where people get too caught up in the statistics, but in the third quarter, he [Mason Jones] moved the ball well and found his teammates,” Rillie said during the post-game press conference.

“Let’s not forget Mason Jones’ impact on the game can be in many different ways and I felt like he got us into a nice little rhythm in the third quarter.

“He’s very mindful of his teammates and getting them involved, because he has the ultimate confidence in himself to get it going.”

One player who stepped up in Jones' absence was John Rillie's son and Perth development player Jaron, who debuted on Saturday and hit a big triple in the final minutes.

"It's one of those moments for me, am I the coach or the father and what you trust and don't trust in the moment but most importantly, his teammates trusted him, shown by the way they closed the game," John Rillie said.

"It was a big moment [for Jaron] but like I said to the team, everyone is going to have their moments this season, as our team is so explosive.

"We just haven't found our groove right now, so we've just got to scrap and claw our way and that last quarter was a good look at how we can create something out of nothing and swing the momentum of a game."

The Wildcats will look to build on their Round 2 win when they host reigning champions Illawarra on Thursday night.