Preview: Perth vs New Zealand - Round 18, NBL24

Friday, February 2, 2024

Can the Wildcats lock up a top two spot? Or will the Breakers cause an upset to keep their Finals hopes alive?

Sunday, February 4 at 4pm AEDT | RAC Arena

Watch: Live and free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies, 10 Peach & 10 Play, Sky Sport in NZ - International viewership details
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Bryce Cotton has revealed he’s often in active discussion with referees during games, who have repeatedly told him they are aware he gets fouled more than is called, but they don’t call the foul so as not to rob the Wildcats of a scoring opportunity.

The comments came after John Rillie expressed his confusion at the lack of fouls called on Cotton in the side’s Round 17 win over South East Melbourne.

The clash will act as a ‘retro round’ for the Wildcats, who will also be retiring former club captain Damian Martin’s number 53 jersey following the game.

Liam Santamaria believes two wins from three games could be enough to get the Breakers into the top six, especially if they register victories over Illawarra and Brisbane.

Perth
103-91 win over South East Melbourne
77-95 loss to Illawarra
104-98 win over Sydney

New Zealand
85-89 loss to Illawarra
94-88 win over Tasmania
106-75 win over South East Melbourne

Bryce Cotton
Bryce Cotton has been at the centre of a storm surrounding how he is officiated this week, and the import guard was honest with media when he was asked about the comments John Rillie made pertaining to a perceived lack of calls in his favour against South East Melbourne last week.

Outside of all the conjecture that has floated to the fore this week, Cotton is putting together a remarkable season in which he averages over one free throw per game more than any other player in the NBL. He looks to be an almost unanimous MVP elect, could be set to win yet another scoring title, and is shaping up as a key cog in an upcoming Finals campaign.

‘Legacy’ has been the word on the lips of the Wildcats faithful this week due to the impending jersey retirement of Damian Martin, and Cotton is in the process of leaving a legacy that is almost unmatched in the modern era of NBL basketball.

Cotton still has plenty of career left – hopefully all in the NBL – but it’s worth casting one eye forward to see if ‘Cotton 10’ would sit comfortably between ‘Crawford 7’ and ‘Fenton 14’ in the rafters at RAC Arena.

“I’ve been told again by the refs that they acknowledge why I get fouled, but the reason they don’t call it is because I got past the player. I’ve been told that multiple times. I wasn’t aware that it was only a foul if you don’t get past a player, I thought a rule was a rule, but that’s the explanation I was given. That’s fine if they call it the same way for other people, but it’s always a loophole for why the foul isn’t called, even though they acknowledge I did get fouled.” – Bryce Cotton mid-week

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">They're the best of the West, but where do Ricky Grace and Bryce Cotton rank in your favourite NBL imports ever? ?<br><br>Comment your favourite import of all time below ? <a href="https://t.co/NRfkEFGb4h">pic.twitter.com/NRfkEFGb4h</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1752500686548541591?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Anthony Lamb
Bryce Cotton being named as one of Pete Hooley’s “locks” for the All-NBL First Team is no surprise, and when you think about it neither is his inclusion of Anthony Lamb in the same category.

Lamb has been a revelation since arriving at the Breakers due to an injury suffered by Justinian Jessup, but has been uncharacteristically quiet in New Zealand’s last two defeats.

He scored just eight points as his side was trounced by Sydney in Round 15, and added just 13 points on 3-13 shooting against the Hawks in Round 17.

It’s for or die time for the Breakers in these final three rounds, and a win over Perth in Perth would go a huge way to sending a message to the rest of the competition that New Zealand is serious about its contention status.

To do that though, all the Breakers’ stars need to be firing on all cylinders, and as an All-NBL First Team elect, it starts with Lamb.

“I’ve got three locks, I’m going down the path of Bryce Cotton, Anthony Lamb and Chris Goulding, so there are two spots up for grabs.” – Pete Hooley on NBL Now

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">With three rounds to go, <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterHooley12?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeterHooley12</a> has declared his three locks for the All-NBL First Team ?<br><br>Who else should be considered for the first team? ?<br><br>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/WvlOws22Jr">https://t.co/WvlOws22Jr</a> <a href="https://t.co/LvYuLWPCKF">pic.twitter.com/LvYuLWPCKF</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1753195438117990659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jordan Usher vs Will McDowell-White
Given Mody Maor’s propensity to tinker with New Zealand’s starting lineup, this may not be the battle from the bench it’s anticipated to be. Either way, both Will McDowell-White and Jordan Usher both have crucial roles to play in this clash.

This season has not gone to plan for McDowell-White so far. He’s been beset by injuries and the entire Breakers team has struggled to recapture the chemistry and consistency of NBL23.

That being said, he’s starting to look like himself from last season coming off the bench for New Zealand, and in his last few appearances the game looks to have slowed down for him, and he’s been in total control when the ball is in his hands.

For all the calmness McDowell-White provides New Zealand, Jordan Usher provides the Wildcats with chaos. The self-confessed ‘crazy’ wing has been a brilliant spark off the pine for the Wildcats this season and, like McDowell-White, has stepped in to start a number of high-profile clashes this season.

He may not be a conductor like McDowell-White is, but he’s the type of player who can turn a game on its head with pure athleticism, scoring ability and passion.

McDowell-White and Usher play like two haves of a yin-yang. One plays with a paced and poetic pragmatism in pink, while the other plays with the hardness and power of a charging bull seeing red. But, they’re both effective, they’re both quality, and they’re both a lot of fun.

Perth has won 11 of its last 12 home games against New Zealand in a run that stretches back to 2018. The only New Zealand win in that time came in Round 14, NBL21 when Levi Randolph scored 23 points en route to a five-point win.

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Levi Randolph.