Have to start playing, they are playing exactly the way this time last year. Hopefully other team's a lose form at the business time of the year.

I don't think Perth or NZ are playing in bad form atm, it’s just most of the other teams have started to get in form, particularly Hawks, 36ers, United.

This game bookends Round 14. Will it be a disappointment round for Perth? lets grab some popcorn and watch.

Kickert out means someone will have to step up for Brisbane, but Brisbane have fresh legs after a full week off and when Brisbane play they seem to be in it for most of the game, except for a brain fade in the 4th Quarter.

Perth will need to come out and be ruthless if they want to win. I'm thinking the fresh legs of Brisbane might keep them in the game in the 4th quarter and if they can be smart for 3 quarters and be within touch, we might just see an upset

Yeah, the fatigue factor is my main concern. Other than that, I'd expect us to deal with a Kickert-less Bullets. I dare say this won't be a pretty game to watch.

Perth

Yes Perth. They're playing Brisbane.

NBL

Do the refs seriously need to check the replay for that USF? Not even 2mins into the game too

Pretty game to watch right now

It's 5 against 4 when Kenny is on

It's 5 against 4 when Kenny is on

Total liability

So the point guard tried inbounding the ball?

You wouldn't think that would be beyond his capability .... but Kenny never fails to deliver

Wow, Holt has finally arrived!

Clint stiendal being wasted in the Perth's offence

Nice to see TeRangi start to put things together too.

I'm watching Perth run their offence, and they just aren't caring enough to set screens.

Playing like they only half care.

Just a complete lack of effort from the Cats, right now we are pretenders.

Too much standing around at both ends.

Perth is awful on offence

Te Range with the dribble....

Only Te Rangi would do something like that.

Loving Cotton right now

Well that was a crap 1st half, same old problems, lack of offense, if Cotton does not score then we have no real other option.

If we actually moved the ball things might happen.

Harvey aged really badly he looks 60

I think I'd take Trice over Cotton. His best is below Cotton's best, but his consistency is far higher.

Wildcats looking woeful in this game. Yes they are tired but they are struggling for offense. To reliant on Cotton and Tokoto, who are great players but need help. They are too trigger happy with early jump shots, they are not challenging the Hrisbane defense at all. Looks like they lose by 25 today and maybe down to 4th spot.

Homocide was spot on when he asked where else do they get offense from in the United game the other night. Their usually excellent defense is patchy lately also.

Well this game's over

Kenny is absolutely a liability. The fact that he can shoot but usually won't take an open look is incredibly frustrating. He is lazy...pass it to someone else to take the accountability. He is also part of the reason wildcats are so poor when Martin is out. As with each of the last two years I hope they move him on at season end.

Kenny is absolutely a liability. The fact that he can shoot but usually won't take an open look is incredibly frustrating. He is lazy...pass it to someone else to take the accountability. He is also part of the reason wildcats are so poor when Martin is out. As with each of the last two years I hope they move him on at season end.

I rest my case

Refs all up on Martin's D. Every game man

He gets away with a lot. 9/10 people will say that

I see Brisbane has stopped playing after half time again.....

Wtrucs looked to hook the d theb get the call

Surely cotton is fouled on that layup???

Now that was a clutch shot from Trice.

And Cotton answers in kind.

Cotton take A bow

Cotton take A bow

Couldn't script that one any better.

Any comments from you manu?

I'm not too unhappy that Perth got up here, and DC played well. Makes them think they can win a GF with the crew they have. Of course they can, but I don't think they will

Perth unsung hero was coocke jr with interior defence master class

Brisbane have no one to blame but themselves. They had a 21 point lead and from there let Perth dictate the game.

Like Sydney yesterday....Brisbane don't know how to win right now.

Hats off to Brisbane, coming up with new ways to lose games on a regular basis.

DC playing well was the main thing for mine

What a steal, played terrible but Cotton played like the super star he is in the last when it mattered.

Cotton just silenced the crowd and hoops posters

Cats floating in and out of games is really bad. Cooke jr showed some though.

Of course Perth winning is shithouse, but it was what I'd prefer today honestly. For the greater good

Trice??? Give me Bryce!!!

Another 4th Q collapse masterclass from Brisbane.

The way Brisbane have closed out games this year, it's not safe for them to celebrate until they've hit the showers post-game.

I'm Kermit.jpg right now my friends. Kicking back, cup of tea, feet in the air.

Perth? I ain't a believer. Just make no moves in the next 7 days and I'll be a happy man.

I'm happy, thinking bigger picture, and you're happy for the one win. Everyone's happy and that makes me happy.

Even when Brisbane were up 15-20 I had no doubt in my mind Perth would come back and win this game. The Bullets turn to shit when the pressure gets put on them and no team is better than Perth and executing both offensively and defensively down the stretch.

After the Trice shot that seemed to seal it I thought here comes Perth lob to Tokoto for the game winner at the buzzer or something. If Manu or anyone else was wondering why Cotton is the highest paid player in the league wonder no more.

Cookie didn't just keep the game in reach, he had a couple buckets to help them go ahead in the last 2 minutes. Big ups

Yeah league's best when hot. Never not said that, but you've just got to look at the other 75 per cent of the game to see why there are question marks

4 seconds was way too much time to leave on the clock. Hard to fault Trice for the tough stepback, but as soon as Perth called the timeout it was obvious exactly what was going to happen. I've never been less surprised by a game winner.

Manu, if you haven't noticed Cotton coasts during the regular season. It would infuriate me if he played for my team but he turns it on when it counts like the 45 point game in the GF last year.

Does he deserve league MVP? Maybe not. Is he the best player in the league? Hands down.

Cotton is the best scorer in the league, but he's not the best player.

Comfortably the best player Angus. Who's the next best? Randle? I'd take Cotton over Randle any day of the week.

Again it's annoying how much he coasts through games but that's because he knows in crunch time he can get any shot he wants any time he wants. In the short time Cotton has been here I've seen him do this stuff a number of times now. It's not luck or just happening to get hot at the right time he just knows he's a level above.

Well done Wildcats

4 seconds was way too much time to leave on the clock.

That's the mainstream thinking, Kobe. But I've always found it flawed. You want the last shot to always be yours

First time in...I think ever, I can say well coached Gleeson (at least from 3 min to go in 2nd qtr). Cats played smart by not bombing away and trying to get the whole 21 points back at once.
He benched steindle after some horrible defensive efforts and clearly told Kenny he owed us.
Good win on the road.

That 2nd half was even better than this thread.

@ Zodiac; Even on the same roster, I think Tokoto is a better overall player than Cotton with how he impacts the game across the board. Not nearly at Cotton's level when it comes to volume scoring, sure, but overall he does a lot of things at a high level. I think Trice is better than Cotton overall, and Randle is at least close but I'd give the edge to Cotton.

@ Kobe; disagree completely. Put up the shot with 2 seconds left and don't give Perth a chance to win the game. If you miss, so be it.

Do you foul before the 3pt shot, lets ask pop. Its a chicken egg, no right no wrong, he executed well, so did cotton well played all round

If Cotton isn't scoring, he isn't doing anything for you. Trice plays OK D and is a playmaker as well. Again, not a better scorer than Cotton, but better at everything else (IMO).

Brisbane vs Sydney

Which team would find the most effective way to lose......

Keeping the pressure on, we know United and breakers play 3 times, Perth always go shit at some stage of the season.

Perth would be happy to finish top 2, just great seeing clutch play's from the imports this season, he misses that then cotton is average?

Always a clutch player but he needs help, and Kenny and Cooke played to a T what the are meant to.

Had a play around with the stats on the app with shot charts. Brisbane made 4 shots in the paint the entire second half, considering I remember a breakaway dunk that leaves 3. Not sure if there was another fast break or not.

That is pisspoor coaching when 19points up in the third. Get in, get the close shots or get the fouls (which were definitely getting called consistently). That's how you manage big leads. Wildcats defense turned the screws on perimeter shots, and if it wasn't for Trice hitting several buckets from range with a hand in his face they would have lost by 10.

@ Zodiac; Even on the same roster, I think Tokoto is a better overall player than Cotton with how he impacts the game across the board. Not nearly at Cotton's level when it comes to volume scoring, sure, but overall he does a lot of things at a high level. I think Trice is better than Cotton overall, and Randle is at least close but I'd give the edge to Cotton.

DCJ looked like he was having a very ordinary game but was 4/4 and had 8 points, 9reb, 4 steals, 1 block and no turnovers in 27 minutes. That's a pretty decent game from the Cookie Monster. He has a very unorthodox shot, some of them look like wild shots but they don’t even look like missing. Even his FTs look ugly.

I hope he sticks in this league because I think he can develop into a great player.

Nothing about points scored or his stats. I didn't look at the stats till the game was done. Mind you I guess the whole wildcats team were guilty of having an ordinary game for a good chunk.

"Wonder if they thought about it but thought it was way too risky with the way unsportsmanlike fouls have been"

If so, then that's a good outcome. Don't want deliberate fouling to kill the chance of a classic finish like that.

I think Cook also had 3 or 4 steals. Crazy for a big guy

I dont think they are arrogant thinking they can beat anyone, they are losing games, losing leads.

The Cats have had a very tough schedule lately. They've were on the road for a month. They finally get a home game but it's on the Friday after a road double, and less than 48 hours later they're back in Brisbane playing again.
I thought it was extraordinary the way they willed themselves to out-work the Bullets today. That was some serious mind-over-matter shit IMO.

This coming weekend it's another home-away double (albeit the Kings), and then finally the following round they have just a single game, at home, to recharge the batteries.

But after rediscovering their defensive intensity today I'm picturing it happening from the opening tip this Friday. Sydney would be feeling a bit better about themselves after the way they competed with Adelaide, but it could be a bloodbath in Perth Arena on Friday night if the Cats are at full strength.

Surely you've got to get Buford on to Cotton for the last defensive play? Gibbo played it well but doesn't have the hops to make that last shot as hard as PB would have.

Good point, Chairman. Buford blocked one of Cotton's prior shots so cleanly that Cotton didn't even flail around, mimicking a seizure, trying to get a foul called. You know it's clean then.

Hahaha ... I have to pay that one

Buford started on Cotton, who imbounded and received the hand-off back from Walker, at that point Gibson switched as Bryce had gapped Buford who was also a chance to get hooked up on Waxy and allow an open look.

Gibbo defended it very well, got body on him and made him shoot a fadeaway over a hand, credit to Cotton for getting the job done. The real issue is how scared Brisbane played for so long in the second half, inexcusable.

What a comeback from Perth, but what a way to snatch defeat from victory by the Bullets.

They had that game in the bag, but if you don't want a win, don't tease your fans.

Tanking

Noticed the same with the crowd, more enthusiasm in putting off a first quarter freethrow for free cheeseburgers.