Match wrap: Cotton torches 'Cats in Adelaide

The Perth Wildcats made a blistering start but the Adelaide 36ers soon took control with 36 points and seven assists from Bryce Cotton who torched his old team in the 95-84 home win.

The Wildcats arrived in Adelaide for their Sunday afternoon clash determined to make amends after letting an 18-point three-quarter-time lead slip to lose in the most dramatic of circumstances in cotton's return to Perth back on December 7.

The Wildcats then came out firing playing a first game since a win in Hobart last Sunday and they were buoyed by being back to full strength with the returns of Jaron Rillie, Jesse Wagstaff and Ben Henshall.

That didn't last too long with import guard David Duke Jr suffering a nasty looking elbow injury but the Wildcats did come out on fire opening up a 14-point lead midway through the first quarter.

At that point, they appeared destined to do some damage in front of a record crowd of 10,041 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre and earn some revenge on their old rivals but they couldn’t keep it going.

The 36ers, who have only lost once in their past 11 matches and just four times for the season, found their groove and built into the contest.

Adelaide narrowed a nine-point quarter-time deficit to trail 49-46 at half-time, and the home side then showed their class in a dominant third quarter.

Five-time league MVP Cotton added 10 points from his game-high haul of 36 to help Adelaide push the lead out to 75-58, the hosts hitting the last 14 points of the quarter.

From there the Sixers opened up a 23-point lead on the way to the 11-point win to remain clear in top spot at 17-4 with Cotton finishing with the 36 points with 6/12 three-point shooting along with seven assists.

DJ Vasiljevic added 17 points with 3/5 shooting from deep along with Flynn Cameron's 17 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Perth are now 11-10 after their second of five straight road games with Kristian Doolittle top-scoring with 18 points, six rebounds and three assists despite shooting 7/19 shooting.

Elijah Pepper also had 12 points and three steals, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr 11 points, three rebounds and two blocks, and Dylan Windler 10 points and five boards.

The 36ers have now played their last game of 2025 and will open up the new year hosting the Sydney Kings next Friday with the Wildcats staying on the road next up in Brisbane on New Year's Day.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2025/26

ADELAIDE 36ERS 95 (Cotton 36, Vasiljevic 17, Cameron 17)

PERTH WILDCATS 84 (Doolittle 18, Pepper 12, Lual-Acuil Jr 11)

BOX SCORE