Wildcats get revenge on wounded Bullets

The Perth Wildcats took full advantage of a decimated Brisbane Bullets line-up at RAC Arena as the NBL season resumed with them dominating on the way to the 117-89 home victory.

The two teams played one another almost two weeks ago in Brisbane prior to the FIBA international break with the Bullets blowing away the Wildcats by 21 points with import guard James Batemon producing 51 on his own.

It was a distinctly different story on the other side of the country with the cause for the Bullets not helped with the absence of Tyrell Harrison (illness), Jarred Bairstow (ankle), Tohi Smith-Milner (concussion), Josh Bannan (ankle) and Deng Adel (broken hand).

That group includes their starting front court of Harrison and Bannan meaning that 18-year-old Next Star Rocco Zikarsky earned his first NBL start on the back of his career-best performance almost two weeks ago.

He had some bright moments too with 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, and former two-time Wildcats championship winner Casey Prather did have 31 points for Brisbane, but that's where the positives just about stopped.

It was a complete demolition job from the outset from the 'Cats who had nearly two weeks to stew over what the Bullets did to them in Brisbane and they were in the mood for revenge.

Perth scored 31 points in the first quarter, 32 in the second, 28 in the third and then 26 in the fourth for the eventual 28-point win to improve to 7-7 on the season while shooting 55 per cent from the field and going 18/40 from three-point range.

Seven Wildcats players scored in double-figures with Kristian Doolittle producing 17 points and seven assists, Izan Almansa 14 points and four boards, and Dylan Windler 15 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Elijah Pepper also had 14 points on 4/7 three-point shooting with Bryce Cotton contributing 13 points and four assists, David Okwera 12 points and Keanu Pinder 11.

Wildcats coach John Rillie liked what his team did, but is already focused on hosting New Zealand on Sunday.

"It was a good response and we had a couple of weeks to digest it," he said.

"The way we came out was very positive and now we have to come back out Sunday and replicate that effort."

It was a rough night for the shorthanded Bullets who went just 6/24 from three, were outrebounded by 10 and had 14 turnovers.

Bullets coach Justin Schueller tried to take some positives including energy provided from Josh Kunen, Kye Savage and Tristan Devers.

"I'm proud of our young guys who came in and just gave us something as in their effort and energy after they've been doing the hard yards day in, day out," he said.

"We had a lot happen to us this week and for them to come in and get that exposure and experience, that's the positive I take out of it.

"It's still frustrating that midway through that second quarter we're right there and it's an eight-point game, and I didn’t think we closed the half out the way we needed to and it was execution errors, and a lack of discipline and that pushed the game out."

Brisbane did well to keep things close early and Rocco Zikarsky getting his first start and having a couple of nice early buckets including a dunk was encouraging, but the longer things went the more it was played at the pace Perth wanted.

The Wildcats ended up putting 31 points up in the first quarter to be leading by seven at quarter-time thanks to ending off with a 7-2 run including a triple from games record holding captain Jesse Wagstaff and four points to Kristian Doolittle.

James Batemon landed his lone first half three-pointer early in the second quarter for Brisbane, but Perth remained in control and again closed out the second half strongly.

The 'Cats finished the half on a 9-2 run including a bucket to Wagstaff again just before the buzzer to see the home team in control leading 63-46 at the break on the back of 60 per cent field goal shooting to 45 from the Bullets.

Zikarsky had a bright moment early in the third quarter with a big block on Keanu Pinder and then a dunk up the other end, but the Wildcats only continued to pull away the longer the game went.

Izan Almansa, Elijah Pepper, Hyrum Harris and then Pepper again all hit three-pointers as the lead had ballooned to 32 in favour of the home team by three quarter-time.

The Bullets did manage to outscore the Wildcats 30 points to 26 in the final quarter with Prather knocking down three triples along the way, but it was still party time in The Jungle with the home team winning by 28.

The Wildcats remain at home to play host to Tacko Fall and the New Zealand Breakers on Sunday while the Bullets are next in action at home next Friday night against the Adelaide 36ers.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2024/25

PERTH WILDCATS 117 (Doolittle 17, Windler 15, Pepper 14)

BRISBANE BULLETS 89 (Prather 31, Zikarsky 13, Cook 12)

BOX SCORE