Career-best form? Bryce Cotton says 'it's true'

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Five-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton believes he's in career-best form after scoring another 36 points to lead the Adelaide 36ers to a win over his former team the Perth Wildcats at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

Cotton, who made the switch to the 36ers this offseason after nine seasons at the Wildcats, seems destined for a sixth Andrew Gaze Trophy with Adelaide in top spot on the ladder and the three-time champion leading the league in scoring.

Asked post-game about comments from NBL experts that he's in career-best form, Cotton agreed.

"They keep saying that and every year, I think it's true," he said.

Fighting back from an early double-digit deficit to beat the Wildcats, Cotton said the result was "very important" for the 36ers.

"We've only got however many games left so you want to make sure you take care of home court and get as many as you can on the road so we definitely needed this one," Cotton said.

"We didn't really do what we talked about before the game and pack the first punch but I think we bounced back and we knew just over the course of the game if we stuck to the game plan we put ourselves in a position to win."

After dominating his former team in front of another sell-out 36ers crowd, Cotton praised the Adelaide faithful for the environment they have created.

"It's amazing, when we get some steals or big plays, hearing them cheer for us, we feed off of that environment, we just want to make sure we continue to give them something to cheer about but we've done a good job so far this season," he said.

Match Recap

Adelaide 36ers defeated Perth Wildcats 95-84 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre. Bryce Cotton's explosive 36-point performance powered the dominant home victory.

Key Details

• Result: Adelaide 36ers 95 def. Perth Wildcats 84
• When: Saturday, 28th December 2025
• Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
• Attendance: 10,041
• Standings: Adelaide 36ers | Perth Wildcats

By the Numbers

• Bryce Cotton (Adelaide 36ers) starred with 36 points, three rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 39 minutes.
• Kristian Doolittle (Perth Wildcats) scored 18 points, and had six rebounds, three assists and one steal in 36 minutes.

What Happened

The Wildcats struck first, establishing an early nine-point advantage with a solid 29-20 opening quarter. Perth's balanced attack and efficient ball movement helped them control the tempo early, as they connected on their shots and limited Adelaide's offensive rhythm. David Duke Jnr and the Wildcats' starting unit looked sharp in the opening exchanges.

Adelaide responded emphatically in the second quarter, outscoring Perth 26-20 to level the contest at halftime. The turning point came in the third quarter, where the 36ers unleashed a devastating 29-nine scoring blitz that effectively decided the contest. Cotton began to heat up from downtown, while Perth's offense went ice cold, managing just nine points in the crucial third period.

Cotton was absolutely on fire throughout the contest, shooting an outstanding 14-from-24 from the field, including six triples from 12 attempts beyond the arc. His ability to create separation and knock down clutch shots proved the difference-maker. Flynn Cameron provided excellent support with 17 points, six boards and five dimes, whilst Dejan Vasiljevic added 17 points on efficient 5-from-8 shooting from the field.

For Perth, Doolittle battled hard with 18 points and six rebounds, but struggled with his shot selection, going 7-from-19 from the field and missing all six attempts from deep. Elijah Pepper contributed 12 points, though he also struggled from outside the arc, going 0-from-5 from three-point range. The Wildcats' poor shooting from downtown ultimately cost them, connecting on just five-from-27 attempts for a dismal 18.52 percent.

The 36ers' superior shooting was the defining factor in this contest. Adelaide shot a solid 50.72 percent from the field compared to Perth's poor 43.66 percent. From beyond the arc, Adelaide connected on 12 triples to Perth's five, highlighting the massive disparity in long-range accuracy. The 36ers also controlled the boards effectively, out-rebounding the Wildcats 43-33, while both teams committed a similar number of turnovers.