THE STAKES were expected to be a bit higher for Luke Travers than that of his Perth Wildcats teammates, when they took on Melbourne United at RAC Arena on Monday night in the final game of Round 10 of the NBL.

The Wildcats stunned the league and pulled out of the season’s most memorable wins with an outstanding comeback, but for Travers, there was initially going to be a bit of added pressure, with the General Manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers originally set to be in the building to watch the player his side selected in last year’s NBA Draft.

Unfortunately, flights were cancelled and Travers’ special guest could not make the game, but the Wildcats gun still poured in a strong showing in Perth’s one-point triumph. Travers played a key role, and is building his form nicely after a quiet period over the past month.

Perth Wildcats (90) def. Melbourne United (89)

Luke Travers – 24 mins, 11 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals

Travers produced his strongest and most well-rounded game of the past month, shooting consistently from the field with four of his seven attempts from the field proving successful as he delivered a crucial performance for the team out west.

With teammate Bryce Cotton in full-on scoring mode, Travers acted as the team’s primary playmaker, making the most of his strengths and creating shots out of the pick and roll. With big man TaShawn Thomas in solid form too, the pair were able to create plenty of space and were on the same page for most of the match.

Travers had a team-high six assists in the win, finding the likes of Cotton and late-game hero Corey Webster with his high IQ and ability to kick out to the perimeter.

Although he was the match’s best passer, Travers was still able to finish the play himself when needed, shooting over 50 per cent from the field. Inside the arc, he made two of his three shots, showing no fear when driving to the hoop, which is to be expected given his size and wingspan.

The 21-year-old even chimed in for a rare three, which has been a bit of a gap in his game since joining the league. With the likes of Cotton and Webster drawing in the defence and double-teams, it was Travers who made the most of some extra space around the half-court.

As a rebounder, Travers was at his consistent best once again, thriving in the third-man up role and getting to best position underneath the shot on both ends of the court. Defensively, the youngster was a massive pest for the opposition, recording three steals that were a mix of stripping the loose carry from ball handler and picking off errant passes. It is a facet of his game that has improved greatly to start the 2022/23 season.

Travers excelled in his return to the starting lineup, making a serious impact and should continue to do so when Cleveland’s GM finally makes his way to Western Australia to see the Wildcats take on the Breakers on Friday.