THERE has been plenty of basketball to enjoy over the course of the weekend, with the National Basketball League (NBL) steadily heading towards the conclusion of the 2021/22 season. The action continued on Saturday, with the league hosting two matches on the opposite ends of the country, but both containing equal amounts of high-quality play. With a number of sides vying for a spot in the top-four in the coming weeks, there is no shortage of effort in the contests we have seen so far.

The first match to take place for the day was a clash between the Brisbane Bullets and the Perth Wildcats at Nissan Arena on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats were widely expected to claim the win in this match, given they have been one of the sides to beat throughout the season, and were coming off a great win over the Phoenix on Thursday night. They were able to live up to this hype, producing a clinical performance on both ends of the court. It was a brutal third term from the visiting side that was the difference, with Perth outscoring its opponents 26-8 in this time to take a commanding lead in this time as they cruised home to a 12-point triumph on the road.

For the victors, the duo of Victor Law and Bryce Cotton were at their damaging best in the win, proving to be too much for the Brisbane defence to handle. Law finished with a game-high 24 points, eight rebounds and four assists as he continues his red-hot form of late. Cotton was also his usual dangerous self against the Bullets, pouring in 20 points, proving that if the pair register 20+ points each, the Wildcats are tough to stop.

The second match in the day’s double-header saw the New Zealand Breakers host the Adelaide 36ers, remarkably at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday, due to the Breakers being stationed in Australia for the remainder of the season. Despite losing home court advantage, the Breakers were the better side in this matchup, claiming a win that was set up by a blistering first term, where they outscored Adelaide 30-16 to take an early lead. The 36ers fought back in the quarters that followed, but the damage was done by this time, as they eventually fell to the tune of nine points in one of New Zealand’s better performances this season.

Young Breaker Hugo Besson continues to boost his NBA stock, and his performance in that match only emphasised this point. He poured in a game-high 17 points off the bench, proving a threat from both inside and behind the arc. Guard Peyton Siva was also impressive with 16 points of his own, while Kai Sotto delivered his best game for Adelaide, providing a spark with 14 points off the bench.