THURSDAY night’s action in the National Basketball League (NBL) saw the Perth Wildcats get their season back on track with a tremendous and gutsy win over the Cairns Taipans at Cairns Convention Centre to kick off Round 4.

The Wildcats had lost their previous three games, and headed across the country to take on a red-hot Taipans side that was on a winning streak of their own. With its back against the wall, it was going to have to be an improved effort from Perth.

One benefit the visitors had on their side was the fact that Cairns would be missing the services of star point guard Taran Armstrong through injury. Armstrong has proven a spark for the Taipans in his two games, but was ruled out on Thursday, which increased Perth’s chances. However, the team from the west was missing big man Keanu Pinder through concussion too, so it balanced out.

The Wildcats were desperate to win in Far North Queensland, and it showed as they chalked out a three-point win over the Taipans to breathe some life back into their season.

Cairns Taipans (87) def. by Perth Wildcats (90)

The Wildcats came out swinging in the first half, looking much more improved on their performances last weekend. They shot 51 per cent from the field in the first half to lead by seven points at the main change, with the Taipans desperately missing a cool head on the offensive end.

Perth strengthened its winning chances with another impressive showing in the third quarter to lead by eight heading into the last. As expected, the home side rallied late to draw within three in the final minutes of the game, but unlike last week, Perth held on in the dying stages of the match to record its second win of the fixture.

Four-time MVP Bryce Cotton was the central figure in the match, posting a whopping 35 points in a serious return to form. He knocked down seven triples from 10 attempts in a blistering display of the offence he can produce when given the time and space. There are not many better barometers for a team’s success in Australian sport than Cotton, and that was demonstrated once again.

Also crucial to the match was the level of help he got from Kristian Doolittle across all four quarters. The forward delivered 19 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, doing a lot of heavy lifting in the first half as well as Perth built its ascendancy.

Although Armstrong’s absence was a clear presence within the match, but once again, import gun Rob Edwards was a serious influence on the scoring side of things. He had another 24 points and seven rebounds, while teammate Sam Waardenburg had 14 points, five rebounds and seven assists in a terrifically balanced performance.

The Taipans will look to bounce back on Sunday, but have a tough matchup facing the Sydney Kings in a blockbuster matchup, while the Wildcats now have a nice break, with their next game not coming until Saturday week.