JB III: Phoenix stacking wins 'brick-by-brick'

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Phoenix import John Brown III rolled out the cliche "Rome wasn't built in a day" but South East Melbourne are stacking wins "brick by brick" – withstanding 31 lead changes in their 94-89 Round 7 NBL26 win against the Perth Wildcats in Melbourne on Sunday, November 2, 2025.

"I’ve been on a lot of teams with good chemistry, but here it feels more genuine," import John Brown III said.

"No one’s going out of their way to be nice – it’s just what we want to do and build. It starts with caring for each other, uplifting each other, understanding it’s a long season.

"We’ll make mistakes, have ups and downs, but we wanna stay level or go higher. Rome wasn’t built in a day – we’re going brick by brick."

Phoenix star Nathan Sobey continued his hot start to NBL26, scoring a game-high 22 points, pulling down five boards, with two blocks and two steals. But he did have four turnovers and it took 20 shots to lead all scorers.

"Great back-and-forth game," Phoenix head coach King said.

"Two teams throwing blows. Every time they made a little run or had momentum, we took it from them; every time we had it, they took it from us.

"In the fourth quarter, we made a few more plays defensively, got a few more stops. It was an excellent game – fortunately for us, we came out on top."

Phoenix are second on the ladder at 6-2, ahead of Adelaide on points differential while Perth fell to .500 (5-5). The Wildcats are fourth.

"They won the possession game, and leading into it that’s all we talked about," Wildcats head coach John Rillie said.

"They turned us over seven more times, and then they out-rebounded us on the offensive glass by six. That’s what it came down to.

"If we navigate through that, we’ll get pretty good output. We just—20 turnovers is way too much."

New Wildcats import David Duke Jr played his first game for the club since arriving in Australia last week. He replaced released import Mason Jones.

"He’s going to fit in with our group really well," Rillie declared.

"I certainly felt like he got his 'welcome to the NBL' moments throughout the game, but I think he’ll fit us very well."

Rillie's son Jaron, sitting next to John, at the podium echoed his father's perspective.

"Everyone knows he’s a good player —he’s shown it before he got here," Jaron said.

"He fit right into our group. In the past two practices he’s made his mark. He gets downhill, he’s unselfish, he plays hard.

"For a guy who’s been in the country five or six days — that’s all you can ask."

Dad Rillie did lament, though, the perception the Wildcats underachieve unless they are perfect.

"We’re a third of the way through and we’re 5-5," he said.

"Unless the Perth Wildcats are 10-0, it seems like we’re a failure. What I’d say is our roster is our roster now. The pieces are together.

"We get to go home for a week to practice, then we go on the road again. Duke’s had a couple practices with us.

"It’s going to take a period of time for us to be at our best — and the last time I looked, playoffs were in March."

Key Details

• Result: South East Melbourne Phoenix 94 def. Perth Wildcats 89
• When: Sunday, 2nd November 2025
• Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Nathan Sobey (South East Melbourne Phoenix) starred with 22 points, five rebounds, one assist, and two steals in 29 minutes.
• Kristian Doolittle (Perth Wildcats) scored 19 points, had 13 rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block in 32 minutes.

What Happened

The Phoenix and Wildcats treated 9,386 fans at John Cain Arena to a thriller featuring an extraordinary 31 lead changes. Perth edged the first quarter 24-21 before South East Melbourne responded to take a slim 46-44 advantage into halftime.

South East Melbourne's defence proved crucial in the third period, where they outscored Perth 29-26 to build their largest lead of nine points. Owen Foxwell caught fire during this stretch, contributing significantly to his 20-point performance which included a stellar 4-from-7 shooting from beyond the arc.

The Wildcats threatened late with an eight-point scoring run, but the Phoenix maintained their composure in the final quarter, limiting Perth to just 17 points while adding 19 of their own to secure the five-point victory.

Sobey's 22 points came despite shooting just 35 percent from the field, though he connected on four triples and went 4-from-5 from the charity stripe. Malique Lewis controlled the glass with 11 rebounds while adding four steals and six assists in a dominant all-round display.

For Perth, Doolittle's double-double (19 points, 13 rebounds) was supported by Jaron Rillie, who delivered an efficient 16 points on 5-from-7 shooting with seven assists. Despite shooting a superior 46.9 percent from the field compared to Phoenix's 39.5 percent, the Wildcats' 20 turnovers proved costly against South East Melbourne's 13.

The Phoenix capitalised on those additional possessions, attempting 15 more shots than their opponents. Their advantage on the offensive glass was particularly telling, with 16 offensive rebounds to Perth's 10, creating crucial second-chance opportunities throughout the contest.