Mooney, Darling fire as 'Cats lose Cotton

Matt Mooney and Max Darling combined for 11 three-pointers as the New Zealand Breakers shook off fatigue to hold out the Perth Wildcats 89-85 who lost superstar Bryce Cotton early.

The four-time MVP appeared to take a knock to his ribs in the opening 40 seconds at Auckland's Spark Arena and he did remain in the game for almost another two minutes.

However, when he extended himself, the pain left him crumpled on the sideline and he was quickly rushed to the locker room, and then went to hospital with an expected fractured rib.

Wildcats coach John Rillie is unsure on Cotton's condition but had to quickly get his team focused on the job.

"I'm not sure, they took him to the hospital to see and we're waiting to see," he said.

"In the moment when an injury like that happens, the player's health is always at the forefront of my mind, and then you do put your attention to the group, and how to continue on.

"It did take us a minute because he is such an integral part of our team just to recalibrate, but then in the second half we competed and got after it."

His Wildcats team still battled hard in their first game in nine days while the Breakers were back home after a near two-week, three-game NBLxNBA tour of the United States and then losing their first game of the NBL season in Brisbane on Thursday.

The difference in the end was New Zealand's hot three-point shooting led by Mooney who knocked down 7/10 on his way to 28 points along with five assists, four rebounds and two steals.

Even though the Breakers led by as much as 14 points early in the second quarter and again by 12 to start the fourth, the Wildcats kept on coming and got back within two before New Zealand just held on.

The Breakers shot 16/36 from three-point range including Max Darling dropping the first four long balls of his 19-game NBL career for 15 points, four rebounds and two blocks.

Superstar guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright might have had 13 points on 5/21 shooting, but still made a strong contribution with nine assists, five steals and three rebounds.

Breakers coach Petteri Koponen was proud of his team given their gruelling travel schedule.

"I was really happy not only because of the win, but because of how we played and showed character," he said.

"The effort was there and 100 per cent the guys didn’t feel perfect, but they showed character and that's what good teams, and teams that want to win, do.

"How we shared the ball looking for the next option offensively too, we played together and it was a good game from us all things considered."

In contrast, the Wildcats only shot 7/25 from long-range and while they did well getting to the line 28 times, they only shot at the charity stripe at 71 per cent.

Tai Webster ended up top-scoring for the 'Cats with 20 points to go with six rebounds and six assists with Kristian Doolittle adding 15 points, 11 boards and four assists, and Ben Henshall 13 points and five rebounds.

The Wildcats did open the game with the first four points in their first game in nine days, but they also lost superstar Bryce Cotton inside the first three minutes with his rib injury.

The Breakers soon found their groove in their first home game since September 29 and it included Max Darling knocking down the first two three-pointers of his NBL career.

Matt Mooney also knocked down three of them from downtown before quarter-time and the Breakers went into the first break leading 24-18.

New Zealand opened up the second frame on fire with threes to Sam Mennenga and Grant Anticevich as part of a 6-0 as the lead blew out to 14 points, but Perth did well to stay in touch even minus Cotton.

The Wildcats scored the last six points of the half to cut the New Zealand lead to 41-39 with both teams shooting at 38 per cent but the Breakers hitting eight threes and the Wildcats getting to the foul line 15 times.

Darling made his third three of the game, and career, to open the second half before Mooney landed three more bombs for the Breakers as they gradually got their advantage back out to double-figures.

New Zealand were up 10 at three quarter-time thanks to a triple on the buzzer from Parker Jackson-Cartwright before a fourth bomb from Darling early in the fourth saw the Breakers back out to an 11-point edge.

Despite that, the Wildcats kept on coming and when Tai Webster completed a three-point play in the dying stages, it was just a two-point ball game but Mooney was able to ice the win at the line for the Breakers.

The Breakers now open Round 6 on Thursday night in Christchurch against the South East Melbourne Phoenix while the Wildcats are back to RAC Arena on Friday against the Sydney Kings.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2024/25

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 89 (Mooney 28, Darling 15, Jackson-Cartwright 13)

PERTH WILDCATS 85 (Webster 20, Doolittle 15, Henshall 13)

BOX SCORE