'Growing': Rillie on Mason Jones as JLA drops 30

• Jo Lual-Acuil Jr and Dylan Windler combine for 56 of Perth's 80 points
• Wildcats move to 3-1 to start the NBL26 season
• Cairns falls below .500 after losing second straight

High octane it wasn't but Jo Lual-Acuil Jr and Dylan Windler were enough to grind out a three-point 80-77 road win for the Perth Wildcats against the Cairns Taipans in Cairns in Round 4 of NBL26.

JLA monstered the Taipans for 30 points and 10 boards while import Windler had 26 on red hot 11-from-15 from the field.

"We’ve been playing well together so far this season — just kind of reading each other," Windler said.

"It’s tough when we get in the ball screen; either you’ve got to step up and I’m gonna throw it over the top, or they were in deep drops tonight, so I was able to get all the way to the rim a lot of times, and that was working for us.

"But he always just has that presence — so if they step up, it’s an easy dump-off."

Perth head coach John Rillie said high-profile G-League import Mason Jones, who had eight points on 2-from-6 in almost 30 minutes, was still finding his way.

"As we’ve talked about Jo and Mason — they’ve just joined our team this year," Rillie said.

"Kristian (Doolittle) is a very compliant player, lets the game come to him. You saw tonight it was Dylan and Jo; next game it could be those other guys.

"I like where we’re getting to as a team because I think our depth can really help us through this initial start of the season. I’m not worried about those guys.

"Doo’s been — what, this is his third season with us — so he understands.

"Mason’s coming from the G-League, understanding the NBA, and he has moments every game where you see him growing and understanding what the style of play is for this league."

Key Details

• Result: Perth Wildcats 80 def. Cairns Taipans 77
• When: 10th October 2025
• Where: Cairns Convention Centre, Cairns
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Jo Lual-Acuil Jr (Perth Wildcats) starred with 30 points, 10 rebounds, one steal, and one block in 34 minutes.
• Andrew Andrews (Cairns Taipans) scored 21 points, and had two rebounds, three assists in 32 minutes.

What Happened

The Taipans established an early advantage, leading 23-18 after the first quarter. They maintained their momentum in the second period, taking a 43-41 lead into halftime behind Admiral Schofield's outside shooting and Marcus Lee's interior presence.

Perth responded strongly after the break, with Lual-Acuil Jr dominating the paint. The Wildcats outscored Cairns 20-17 in the third quarter to take a narrow 61-60 lead heading into the final period. Dylan Windler's contributions on both ends proved crucial during this stretch, as he collected 11 defensive rebounds throughout the contest.

The fourth quarter featured intense back-and-forth action, with the Wildcats ultimately securing the three-point victory by matching Cairns' 17 points in the period. Perth's defensive adjustments limited the Taipans' effectiveness, forcing 14 turnovers while committing just nine themselves.

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr delivered a standout performance for Perth, shooting an efficient 13-from-20 from the field for 30 points while adding 10 rebounds. Dylan Windler was equally impressive with 26 points on 11-from-15 shooting and 11 rebounds. Their combined efficiency was remarkable, with the duo connecting on 24 of their 35 field goal attempts.

For the Taipans, Andrew Andrews led the scoring with 21 points, though he struggled from the field, shooting just 6-from-18 including 3-from-12 from three-point range. Marcus Lee added 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Alex Higgins-Titsha contributed significantly off the bench with seven points and nine rebounds.

The contrasting shooting efficiencies told the story of the game. Perth shot 45.7% from the field compared to Cairns' 38.4%, overcoming their poor three-point shooting (2-from-19) by dominating inside. The Taipans stayed competitive through their advantage in three-pointers (9-from-32) and slightly better free-throw shooting, but ultimately couldn't overcome the Wildcats' interior dominance.