Perth will host Cairns on Sunday with a simple task and a bigger one behind it: turn a late rally into a full 40-minute performance. The Perth Wildcats are chasing a sixth win to stay in touch with the NBL’s top four, and they come in having clawed back from a 27-point deficit before falling 109-104 to Brisbane.
That comeback mattered because it showed Perth can still swing a game after halftime. The Wildcats outscored Brisbane 61-46 after the break and got within two in the final quarter, but the first half left too much to chase. John Rillie said the challenge for Sunday is bringing that execution from the opening minutes, not just after the damage is already done.
That is what makes this meeting so immediate for Perth. The Wildcats sit fifth at 5-5, while Cairns is one spot above them at 6-6, so a win would push Perth above.500 and tighten the race around the middle of the ladder. Cairns arrives after a 107-95 loss at home to Illawarra on Thursday night, a game in which it led 62-61 at halftime before giving up control, even after scoring 35 points in the opening quarter and connecting on eight three-pointers.
Perth has reasons to believe the game can tilt its way if it starts with more control. It found a lift through its bench against Brisbane, and that depth helped keep the game alive after the early hole. Cairns, meanwhile, had its own bright spots in defeat, with Keanu Pinder finishing on 21 points and eight rebounds, Jack McVeigh adding 20 points and seven assists, and Jaylon Brown contributing 14 points and five assists. Luke Paul also scored 12 points in his first professional start for Cairns on Thursday, another sign the Taipans can still find production even when the result slips away.
The unresolved piece is Brandon Knight. He missed Wednesday’s trip to Brisbane because of hamstring soreness, and Rillie said he was aiming to rejoin the main group at Saturday’s training session. His availability now depends on finishing that work and passing medical clearance, which leaves Perth waiting on one of its key guards before tipoff. For a team with three games in a week and a chance to move up in the standings, Saturday’s session may matter as much as Sunday’s result.
