A Bryce Cotton-inspired third-quarter blitz propelled the Adelaide 36ers to a commanding win against the Perth Wildcats in front of a record crowd at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Sunday.
Perth got off to a flyer and led by three points at halftime, but Adelaide unleashed a stunning 29-9 third quarter, including a blistering 14-0 run to finish the term, to open up an imposing 17-point lead.
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The red-hot Sixers led by as much as 23 points before cruising to their tenth home win of their impressive season.
Cotton had 24 points after three quarters, including three buckets in a row in the pivotal third-term rally, and finished with a game-high 36 points, including six three-pointers, against his old team in front of 10,041 fans.
“He sees things where others don’t … the guy’s just a genius – a basketball savant,” NBL legend Andrew Gaze said on ESPN of Cotton after he found Zylan Cheatham with a sublime bounce pass in traffic early in the stunning third quarter.
Bryce Cotton of the 36ers during the round 14 NBL match between Adelaide 36ers and Perth Wildcats at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, on December 28, 2025, in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The result improved the 36ers’ hold on top spot on the ladder, Mike Wells’ side finishing 2025 with a 17-4 record, while Perth dropped to 11-10.
ON ICE EARLY
Isaac Humphries had to take a seat four minutes into the first quarter after picking up two early fouls and the star big’s problems were emblematic of his side’s issues in a scratchy start.
Jo Lual-Acuil Jr threw down a monster dunk and led the scoring as the visitors snatched the early momentum.
Adelaide opened 0-of-5 from the floor, with its first points coming when Flynn Cameron went to the foul line two minutes in.
He followed up with his side’s first points from the floor with a sweet triple a minute later, but it failed to spark the home side, the Sixers trailing 23-9.
Cotton missed his first two scoring attempts before he opened his account with a triple, but the 36ers trailed by 29-20 at the first break.
BELIEVE IN BRYCE
After his first 20 games as a Sixer, Cotton led the league in average scoring, free throws made, three-pointers made and steals, so it came as no surprise that the superstar led his side’s second-quarter rally.
Cotton raced to 13 points, including two triples, as resurgent Adelaide led for the first time halfway through the second term.
The five-time NBL MVP was 3-of-5 from long range in the first half, with his side 5-of-9, to Perth’s 3-of-14 (21 per cent) from outside the arc.
Despite their long-distance issues, the Wildcats had three shooters in double figures at the main break, including Kristian Doolittle and Lual-Acuil Jr, to lead by three points.
DUKE JR DONE
Perth import David Duke Jr was knocked out of the game in the opening minutes and could face a stint on the sidelines after suffering a gruesome injury.
The American import badly hyperextended his left elbow fighting for a rebound with Troy Brown Jr and went immediately to the bench.
