Bullets on target in upending Wildcats

THE two best gunslingers in the NBL went head-to-head and it was Nathan Sobey and the Brisbane Bullets who emerged triumphant with a 95-92 victory over the Bryce Cotton-led Perth Wildcats at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena on Friday.

Sobey finished with a gamehigh 31 points and four assists while league-leading scorer Cotton had 29 points for the reigning NBL champions as Brisbane snapped Perth’s fourgame winning streak.

Vic Law had 23 points and six rebounds for Brisbane, who improved their record to 6-6 while the Wildcats are 6-4 after Brisbane led at every change with Sobey pressing his MVP claims with 11 field goals from just 18 attempts.

Brisbane’s offence stagnated in the closing stages but a Law lay-up from a pinpoint Sobey pass and two critical defensive plays from forward Anthony Drmic held off a fastfinishing Wildcats, with Cotton having 16 points in the final quarter.

With a return to their trademark rebounding prowess, Perth hit the front for the first time in the match late in the third quarter but Sobey responded for Brisbane with a fast break bucket and a threepointer to spark the Bullets who took a 73-68 advantage into the last change.

Brisbane controlled the contest across the first two terms, leading by seven at quarter-time and by four points at halftime with a ruthlessly efficient shooting clip of 58 per cent (20/34) from the field and superior rebounding (20-15) keeping the Wildcats in check.

In stark contrast to their horror start in their game against the New Zealand Breakers on Wednesday when they conceded 22 unanswered points in the first quarter, the Bullets raced to an early 15-4 buffer.