Hawks overcome Cotton's 40-point show to beat Perth

• Bryce Cotton scored 40 points on 15-from-23 shooting, including 17 in the third quarter, but the Perth Wildcats fell 121-111 to the Illawarra Hawks.
• Hawks Trey Kell III has 26 points and a decisive 10-0 run late in the fourth quarter.
• The loss drops Perth to 8-8 as they begin a stretch of road games.

Perth Wildcats and NBL superstar Bryce Cotton delivered another standout performance, scoring 40 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Perth Wildcats fell 121-111 to the Illawarra Hawks (Game Centre) in their final home game of 2024 on Friday night.

Cotton, coming off a record-setting 59-point game against the New Zealand Breakers, was once again the focal point for the Wildcats. He finished with 40 points on 15/23 shooting, including 6/9 from beyond the arc. Cotton was especially electric in the third quarter, where he scored 17 points, hitting three triples and capping the period with an emphatic put-back slam. His efforts kept Perth in the game, but the Wildcats couldn’t close out in the fourth.

The game was an offensive showcase, with both teams combining for 232 points on 55.6% shooting from the field and 44.8% from three-point range. Cotton had Perth in front 91-88 heading into the fourth quarter, but Illawarra outscored the Wildcats 33-20 in the final period, including a decisive 10-0 run in the last two minutes, to secure the victory.

Despite Cotton’s brilliance, Perth dropped to 8-8 on the season and now faces seven consecutive road games, starting in Adelaide on Sunday. The Wildcats also suffered a blow with Kristian Doolittle leaving the game early due to a groin injury, adding to the absence of Keanu Pinder.

Illawarra improved to 9-5 with a balanced team effort led by Trey Kell III, who scored 26 points, along with five assists and four rebounds. Wani Swaka Lo Buluk contributed 17 points, three rebounds, and three steals, while Sam Froling added 17 points and seven boards.

Cotton got off to a strong start, scoring 13 points in the first quarter on perfect shooting to help Perth take a narrow 30-29 lead. He continued to shine in the second quarter, ending the half with 19 points, but Illawarra's depth and bench contributions from Darius Days (12 points) and Lachlan Olbrich (10 points) gave the Hawks a 55-53 halftime advantage.

The third quarter belonged to Cotton, who ignited Perth with a momentum-shifting put-back dunk and three consecutive triples. He scored 17 of Perth's 38 points in the period as the Wildcats reclaimed the lead. However, Illawarra's resilience, highlighted by key late plays from Trey Kell III and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, turned the tide in the fourth quarter.

Despite Cotton's 40-point effort, the Wildcats couldn’t keep pace with the Hawks down the stretch.