Perth Wildcats produced stunning win over NBL ladder leaders Melbourne United to show off title credentials

Perth Wildcats have turned themselves into giant killers and shown off their championship credentials with a stunning 96-84 victory over NBL ladder leaders Melbourne United at RAC Arena on Thursday night. The Wildcats electrified the crowd with an emphatic performance at both ends of the court, showcasing their scoring power while also applying immense pressure on United’s stars whenever they got the ball. Perth lost to Melbourne by 11 points two weeks ago and hadn’t played another game since due to the FIBA international window. But they used that time wisely, plotting their revenge and setting up a statement win. United had lost only two games this season and both of them were in the first week of November. They had also won eight of their last nine matches against Perth. But the Wildcats were outstanding. They were up for the fight from the opening seconds. The Wildcats produced their best first quarter of the season., piling on 33 points to open up a 14-point advantage. They didn’t allow United to score for the first three minutes and played with rabid intensity at both ends of the court. Perth led the rebounds 15-7, forced Melbourne to make seven turnovers and the visitors couldn’t stop fouling. The Wildcats went to the free throw line 11 times in the first period. All eyes were on the Wildcats to see if they could maintain that intensity. They increased the margin to 15 points before United mounted a series of challenges. Coach John Rillie and star Kristian Doolittle spoke about the importance of the Wildcats staying focused when teams build momentum during the week and it was clear that squad had learnt valuable lessons. Every time Melbourne made a run, the Wildcats responded. Their biggest issue was finding a way to stop Tanner Krebs. He had a career-high 25 points at half-time and was the only Melbourne player in double figures. Meanwhile, the Wildcats had 56 points on the board and they had contributors everywhere. Everyone knew Melbourne would throw the kitchen sink at Perth during the third quarter but the home team had all the answers. United reduced the deficit to 10 points, but couldn’t get any closer. Dylan Windler then closed out the quarter with two three-pointers, including one on the buzzer to give the Wildcats a massive 19-point lead with one period left. When they burst clear by 23 points early in the final term, the result was beyond doubt. Melbourne captain Chris Goulding entered the game having made at least one three-pointer across 109 consecutive games. Perth didn’t even allow him to score. Now the Wildcats will turn their attention to Sunday’s massive clash against Adelaide at RAC Arena. That will be the first time former superstar Bryce Cotton has played in Perth since leaving the club. A packed crowd is expected to attend as the club looks to re-produce the win they had over the 36ers last month and Cotton attempts to put on another huge display on the court he routinely dominated on for nine years.