Preview: Round 2 v Wildcats

The Brisbane Bullets have travelled coast-to-coast ahead of a two-game road trip in Perth, as they look to notch their first win of the young season.

The Bullets are set to face current League leaders Perth Wildcats at RAC Arena this Sunday, before the two sides meet again on the following Friday. Perth are undefeated from two matches played so far this season, having beaten Adelaide and Cairns.

Although the Bullets started their regular season campaign with a close overtime loss to Tasmania, Brisbane will come into this clash with plenty of confidence after beating Perth in pre-season. A strong second quarter helped spur the Bullets onto a 10-point win in Tasmania.

This first match against the Wildcats promises to be an important test for the Bullets, who are more than capable of chalking up a win against the Wildcats in front of the Red Army.

Match Details

Tip-off: Sunday, December 12 at 4:30pm AEST

Venue: RAC Arena

Broadcast: Live on ESPN via Kayo or Foxtel

Milestone

Anthony Drmic will play his 150th NBL game when he steps onto the court this afternoon.

Tale of the Tape

While pre-season can only tell you so much, the 100-90 over the Wildcats last month showed Australian basketball fans that the Bullets have the potential to match it with the best in the League.

In fact, the Bullets have done this time and time again against the Wildcats. Including that win on November 19^th, Brisbane have had the better of their last five head-to-head meetings between the two sides.

Dating back to their first meeting of NBL21 in March last year, the Bullets have won three of their last five matches against the 10-time NBL champions.

The two sides played out a thriller at Perth’s RAC Arena last season, in their final meeting of the regular season, where the Bullets fought their way back from a 13 point deficit with just under seven minutes on the clock. Brisbane went on to win that match 91-88, which was their second three-point win over Perth in four meetings.

Recent Form (Includes Pre-season)

Brisbane: W-W-W-L-L

Wildcats: W-W-L-W-W

The Bullets were one of the form teams in this year’s NBL Blitz, winning three matches in a row, which included the 10-point win over Perth.

But after finishing pre-season with a close lose to Adelaide, followed by a season-opening loss to Tasmania, the Bullets come into round two on the back of two straight losses.

The Bullets pushed League new-comers Tasmania to overtime last week. After leading with just under two-minutes to play, a strong finish from the JackJumpers saw them win that clash.

As for the Wildcats, they come into round two on the back of two strong wins over Adelaide 36ers and Cairns Taipans.

Key Players

Nathan Sobey – Brisbane Bullets

For the second time in as many games, guard Nathan Sobey has been highlighted as a key player for the Bullets ahead of their first match in Perth

When the Bullets beat the Wildcats in the Blitz last month, he didn’t play. But with a wealth of experience under his belt, and his own recent form against the Wildcats, Brisbane will undoubtedly be boosted by his inclusion this weekend.

In the first meeting between the two sides last season, Sobey had himself a game in the three-point win at RAC Arena. Sobes dropped 31 points, had two boards and four dimes as well.

But this is by no means a one off for Sobey, who backed that up with 24 points, two rebounds and five assists against the Wildcats later that season.

Forward Lamar Patterson is another important player for the Bullets, who has also gone off in recent meetings with Perth.

Last season, Patterson dropped 19 points and had 10 rebounds in April. He backed this up nearly a month later in the fourth and final meeting between the two sides in NBL21, where he scored 23 points and had five rebounds.

Bryce Cotton – Perth Wildcats

When the Perth Wildcats won three League titles in four seasons, Bryce Cotton was a big part of each of those successes.

The reigning NBL MVP has been a key player for the Perth outfit for years now, and his side will likely look to him again in big moments on Sunday.

Cotton also has a history of high performance against the Bullets, having averaged over 25 points in the first three meetings between the sides in NBL21.

The 29-year-old has also started the new season on a strong note once again, which included a 31-point game in the win over Cairns last Sunday. He’s also led the team in assists in both of their matches to start this season.

Another player to watch is former Brisbane Bullets, Vic Law, who dropped 37-points in their season opener against the Adelaide 36ers. He was also second behind Cotton for points scored by a Wildcats player in the win over Cairns, finishing with 14-points to his name.

Next Home Game

The Bullets will be back in town next Sunday 19 December against the Illawarra Hawks. Be at Nissan Arena to cheer on the Bullets and get your tickets today!