Gleeson disappointed with "backwards step" against Wildcats

Adelaide 36ers Head Coach Trevor Gleeson has shouldered the blame for his side’s heartbreaking 98-97 loss to the Perth Wildcats on Thursday night.

The Sixers led by two points in the dying seconds before Jacob Pepper hit a three while being fouled with 1.9 seconds to play to steal the victory at RAC Arena.

The visiting captain Bryce Cotton was immense on his return to Perth with 37 points, nine assists and four steals but the result spoiled his milestone 300th NBL game.

Afterwards, Gleeson said his side started poorly and despite being in a position to win, wasn’t good enough across the court.

“I really thought we went a backwards step today,” he lamented.

“Obviously, we didn't start well. (We knew) Perth would come out pretty aggressive after last week. Then we weathered the storm and I thought we had the tempo of the game.

“And then about two minutes before three-quarter-time, I tried to rest some guys ready for the fourth quarter. I think went from 13 (points up) to seven and then they cut it down pretty quickly.

"I was really disappointed how we kept reverting to Bryce and not moving the ball and running our offence.

“It was like he must touch the ball and you can't win that way. Well, my experience is you can't win that way.”

And the former Wildcats mentor blamed himself for not finding opportunities for Cotton to rest, with the 34-year-old playing all but seven seconds of game time.

“I had a couple of guys checked in to sub him out and then (Cotton) hit three or got fouled (so I) said, ‘oh, yeah, okay’,” Gleeson said candidly.

“I tried to ride it out so that's my fault. That's totally on me.

“He played too many minutes. It's a stupid mistake from myself.”

Regardless, Gleeson was disappointed with his side’s showing after a gutsy effort to beat Melbourne United in the opening game of the season.

“I don't think we played at the level we played last week,” he said when asked if the absences to injury of Flynn Cameron, Isaac Humphries and Bul Kuol took its toll.

“It was disappointing to take a step back.

“Competitive, yes, but we didn't play long enough and we got we got some bad habits that we've got to iron out, and it doesn't matter who's playing out there.”

The Wildcats were coming off a disappointing 21 point home loss to open the season and were always going to come out swinging early.

They raced to a 15-point first period advantage before Zylan Cheatham did his bit to pull back the deficit, notching 13 points in the first quarter along with three rebounds as the Sixers trailed by 10 at the first change.

Cotton was held to five points from just three shots but he wouldn’t be held in the second period.

The milestone man added eight points and four assists for the quarter as well as some important defensive plays to lift his side, bringing Nick Rakocevic into the game. The big Serbian-American had 10 second quarter points of his own as the visitors slowly puled back the margin.

Desperate defending by Keanu Rasmussen turned the momentum and with two minutes left in the quarter the Sixers hit the front.

Despite a couple of sloppy possessions late, the sides went to the rooms at half time tied at 48-48.

If Cotton was good in the second period, he was exceptional in the third, piling on 18 points, two assists and three key steals to put his side seven points to the good as the sides broke for the final time.

Momentum shifted again with the home side putting the clamps on and the Sixers seemingly unable to hit a shot.

And then remarkably, on the back of huge three pointers to Cotton and John Jenkins III, Adelaide looked destined to win, until Pepper’s late heroics.

It was an emotional return to Perth for Gleeson who guided the Wildcats to five championships in eight years in charge.

He was acknowledged with a standing ovation by the boisterous home crowd before the game, and admitted to feeling various emotions on the night.

“The Red Army, awesome,” he smiled.

“As soon as I got out, you know, cheering. It was a special time.

“It's going to be my favourite place in my career to be here Perth and see the championships up in the rafters, so I’m still affectionate (towards) Perth.

“I hated playing here against it, you know, what we built from over here, but that's over. Now we've just got to keep moving on.”

And the Sixers will need to move on quickly with their first home game of the season at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Sunday against the Cairns Taipans from 3:30pm.