Wildcats star Cotton gives Breakers a ton of trouble

• Bryce Cotton has 41 and 59 in consecutive games against New Zealand Breakers
• Perth gut out tough eight-point road win against New Zealand
• Breakers big Tacko Fall has best game of his season

Four-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton is a one-man wrecking machine against the New Zealand Breakers in NBL25 — in two games he's monstered the Breakers for 100 points, 41 of which came in Perth's 96-86 road win (Game Centre) on Sunday, January 5, 2025.

Cotton, 32, put on a show when the two met on December 1, 2024 at Spark Arena, breaking the Perth Wildcats scoring record with an extraordinary 59, the most in the 40-minute era.

Wildcats coach John Rillie lauded his team's mental fortitude in the face of adversity as well as Cotton's ability to score the ball.

"It was great for us to show some resolve," Rillie said post-game.

"They did a great job in the third quarter to make it a game.

"For us to stay with it and not let the emotion in an arena with a nice atmosphere get on top of us, we did a great job as a team handling that situation, and Bryce made some big-time shots."

Cotton's 41-point outburst overshadowed standout efforts from the Breakers' Tacko Fall and Matt Mooney, who each put up 28 points in a losing effort.

The match was a tale of two halves, with Fall dominating early. The towering centre poured in 21 points in the first half, showcasing his near unstoppable presence in the paint. However, the Wildcats weathered the storm and managed to build an 11-point lead by halftime, capitalising on Fall's time on the bench under minutes restrictions.

The third quarter saw a dramatic shift as Mooney caught fire, exploding for 17 points to bring the Breakers roaring back into it. His hot hand briefly gave New Zealand the lead and set the stage for a tense final period.

But the game turned decisively when Mooney fouled out with just over four minutes remaining. The Wildcats seized the opportunity, closing the contest with a decisive 14-5 run.

It was Cotton's stellar performance that was difference. The seven-time NBL scoring champion shot an 13-from-26 from the field and 12-of-16 free-throw attempts. He also had four assists.

For the Breakers, Fall's dominant performance was a silver lining in defeat. The 7-foot-5 centre finished with 28 points on an ultra-efficient 10-from-12 shooting, while also grabbing eight boards and swatting away four shots. Mooney matched Fall's point total, going 10-from-14 from the field and dishing out six assists before his untimely exit.

The Breakers are clearly hurting without early season MVP candidate Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who was suspended for five games for making contact with a referee.

Breakers coach Petteri Koponen was frustrated in his post game press conference.

"We fought and tried, and everybody stuck to the game plan and we were there the whole game," Koponen said.

"To lose one of our guys like this (Mooney) is tough, and Mojave (King) also got injured and couldn't play the second half.

"We had to shorten the rotation, and maybe we lacked some energy in the end, but we fought and had a chance."

The loss drops the Breakers to 8-12 on the season, having now lost nine of their last 10 games. It's a concerning trend for a team that had hoped to turn things around after snapping an eight-game losing streak on New Year's Eve in Cairns.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, continue to build momentum on their extended road trip. This victory marks their fourth win away from home, following a dominant 24-point triumph in Adelaide the previous week, and they are now 12-9 with two games in hand on 13-9 Sydney Kings.

Looking ahead, both teams face quick turnarounds. The Breakers will need to regroup swiftly as they travel to face the Brisbane Bullets (Game Centre) on Wednesday, January 8, 2024. For the Wildcats, their road journey continues with a matchup against the Tasmania JackJumpers (Game Centre) on Sunday, where they'll look to maintain their winning form and solidify their position in the league standings.