There. Goes. That. Man. Bryce drops another 40

• Bryce Cotton scored 44 points, his fourth consecutive 40-plus-point game
• Perth Wildcats beat Cairns Taipans 128-92.
• Perth outscored Cairns 74-35 in the second half, turning a halftime deficit into a dominant 36-point victory

NBL superstar guard Bryce Cotton continued his incredible scoring streak, putting up 44 points to lead the Perth Wildcats to a dominant 128-92 win against the Cairns Taipans at the Cairns Convention Centre on Saturday, December 14.

Cotton’s performance marked his fourth consecutive game with 40 or more points, making him the first NBL player to achieve this feat since Andrew Gaze in 1991.

Cotton finished with 44 points on 17/-from-27 shooting, including 3-from-6 from beyond the arc and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. He also contributed six assists as the Wildcats overcame a halftime deficit and dominated the second half, outscoring the Taipans 74-35 after the break.

The Taipans started well, holding Cotton to just four first-quarter points and building an 11-point lead in the second quarter. By halftime, Cairns led 57-54, with Taran Armstrong and Tanner Groves combining for 33 points. However, the second half belonged entirely to the Wildcats.

Perth took control with a 33-10 scoring run in the third quarter, flipping a five-point deficit into an 18-point lead by the end of the period. Cotton scored 28 points in the second half, leading a Wildcats offense that shot 59 percent from the field and 17/31 from three-point range for the game.

Dylan Windler added 18 points, five assists, four steals, and four rebounds for Perth, while Keanu Pinder returned to the lineup with 13 points and 10 boards. Elijah Pepper chipped in 10 points on 2/3 shooting from deep.

Cairns, now on a 12-game losing streak, was led by Armstrong’s 24 points and eight assists, Groves’ 23 points, and Rob Edwards’ 20 points and six rebounds. Despite a promising first half, the Taipans struggled to match Perth’s intensity in the second.

The Wildcats, now 10-8, will travel to face the Illawarra Hawks next Sunday for their third of seven consecutive road games. Meanwhile, the Taipans remain in Queensland and will face the Brisbane Bullets in a Sunshine Stoush on Friday.