Diabolical Brisbane Bullets laughed out of Perth

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Diabolical, disarray, dysfunction and dead last is how the Brisbane Bullets will end NBL26.

Brisbane endured an embarrassing start to its 94-75 loss to the Perth Wildcats in Round 21 in Perth on Friday, February 13, 2026 with six early turnovers, including a Terry Taylor pass that sailed straight out of bounds into the crowd.

Wildcats star Kristian Doolittle laughed while putting up 13 points in the opening quarter, setting the tone for what would become a dominant 29-19 first period for Perth.

Brisbane head coach Darryl McDonald took Taylor out of the game and put two hands on his shoulders, which Taylor pushed off.

"Nothing in it," McDonald said.

"Yeah, nothing in it. Just a heated moment in the game, nothing more than that.

"It was just the turnover – one turnover. He threw it to Holty (Jacob Holt) and again I’m trying to explain to him, don’t throw it to him up there.

"We’re not going to post him up outside the three-point line. And we never got to it because he’s trying not to get blamed for it, which is understandable. But other than that, there was nothing else in it. That’s all.

"Again, frustration moment for me because of the turnovers. You can’t turn the ball over against teams like this. You’ve got to put the ball in the hole and you can’t give them extra possessions by turning it over."

Perth moved to fourth at 20-11 while Brisbane slipped further at the bottom at 6-23. This game as over early with six turnovers led to an 18-2 scoreline in four minutes.

"Oh my goodness. I don’t know. I’m just sitting there thinking what are you doing?" McDonald said.

"We tried to come out and try something different. Your offence can get your defence going, defence can get your offence going.

"We struggled to score and then we’re not sprinting back like we should. We’re jogging back and not finding players.

"If we miss, we’re supposed to be in man. If we make, we’re in the zone. The problem was we were just running back and not matching up.

"Transition isn’t about your man – you’ve got to find somebody. We were just running back to spots.

"The start wasn’t great. You’re down 18–2 and we end up losing by 19. We clawed our way back a little bit but couldn’t get over the hump.

"We got it to nine, then 10, then missed a free throw so it’s still double figures. We get it to 16, miss a shot, they come back and hit a three, now it’s 19. We just couldn’t put a little pressure on them."

Key Details

• Round: 21
• Result: Perth Wildcats 94 def. Brisbane Bullets 75
• When: Friday, 13th February 2026
• Where: RAC Arena, Perth
• Attendance: 11,447
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Kristian Doolittle (Perth Wildcats) starred with 28 points, seven rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block in 35 minutes.
• Hunter Maldonado (Brisbane Bullets) scored 18 points, and had six rebounds, seven assists, three steals and one block in 27 minutes.

What Happened

The Wildcats established complete control from the opening tip, racing to an extraordinary 18-2 lead after just four minutes of play.

Despite their blistering start, the Wildcats couldn't maintain that torrid pace throughout the contest. Brisbane managed to steady themselves somewhat, outscoring Perth 18-22 in the second quarter to trail 47-37 at the main break. The Bullets continued their fightback in the third period, matching Perth's 25-point output to keep the deficit at 15 points heading into the final stanza. However, the damage was already done, with Perth's early burst proving insurmountable for the wooden spoon-bound visitors.

Doolittle delivered another masterful display, shooting an outstanding 10-from-14 from the field, including 4-from-7 from downtown and 4-from-5 from the charity stripe. His efficiency rating of 36 highlighted just how dominant he was on both ends of the floor. Supporting cast members Elijah Pepper contributed 20 points and five dimes, while Jo Lual-Acuil Jr added 15 points and eight boards in a well-rounded team effort.

Perth's superior shooting proved decisive, converting at 49.3% from the field compared to Brisbane's 41.3%. The Wildcats connected on 11 triples at a solid 39.3% clip, while the Bullets managed 10 three-pointers at 41.7%. Perth dominated the paint with a +8 rebounding advantage (44-36) and limited their turnovers to just 10 compared to Brisbane's 15, showcasing the discipline that has characterised their recent hot streak.

This fourth consecutive victory - their ninth win in the last 10 games - keeps Perth firmly entrenched in fourth spot with a 20-11 record. The 19-point triumph also boosted their percentage margin over fifth-placed Melbourne United, who sit at 19-12. For Brisbane, this marks their 12th straight defeat, leaving them anchored to the bottom of the ladder at 6-26 with their season all but over mathematically.