Shorthanded Bullets pour pressure on Wildcats

The Brisbane Bullets quite simply outworked the Perth Wildcats and despite missing two important players and being at RAC Arena, put in a performance full of heart for the 84-79 NBL win.

Both teams were 2-4 coming into the Friday night match up on losing slides, but it was the Wildcats with the pressure building with the Bullets without key pair Aron Baynes (suspended) and Shannon Scott (hamstring).

Brisbane scored the first seven points, led 18-3 and opened up a 20-point lead in the third quarter before going on to win by five holding out a furious late charge from the home team.

The team effort of the Bullets was outstanding as they got another 17 points from captain Nathan Sobey. Chris Smith put up 16 points, Josh Bannan 15 and Tyrell Harrison 12 to go with five rebounds and three blocks in just 14 minutes through foul trouble.

First year Bullets coach Justin Schueller couldn’t have been prouder of his team.

It was a big game for us having dropped four, with two marquees out and we knew we had to come in here and play near a perfect game," he said.

"My initial thought is just pleasure in how the guys stuck to a plan, and found our advantages consistently throughout the night."

The Wildcats missed 18 of their first 19 three-point attempts before a couple midway through the last quarter from Keanu Pinder who finished with 22 points and five rebounds.

Perth coach John Rillie was matter-of-fact in his assessment afterwards.

"My words during the week were that we're just not playing good, that showed again tonight," Rillie said.

"Our offence isn’t functioning very good right now. We're doing a great job holding teams to scores where we could put enough points on the board to win, in saying that we're not doing that.

"That's certainly something we have to address and resolve here pretty quickly."

He was a lone shining light for a 'Cats team who have lost four straight and again superstar Bryce Cotton struggled to 10 points and five assists on 3-of-19 shooting.

Brisbane might have been missing perhaps their two most important players and on a four-game losing streak, but they started on fire with the game's first seven points and being up 18-3.

They were still leading 20-9 by the end of one and while the Wildcats had their moments in the second quarter, Brisbane did well to lead 42-36 at the long break.

It was 17-year-old Rocco Zikarsky standing tall in the paint in the third quarter with Harrison in foul trouble.

Sobey and Smith then put the points on the board knocking down shots as the Bullets lead ballooned to 20.

The 'Cats did make a charge with a Pinder inspired 11-0 run in the fourth to cut the deficit to three, but the Bullets answered with strong inside finishes from Harrison and Bannan to secure the win.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 5

PERTH WILDCATS 79 (Pinder 22, C Webster 11, T Webster 11) 

BRISBANE BULLETS 84 (Sobey 17, Smith 16, Bannan 15)

BOX SCORE