In a thrilling clash of NBL titans, Melbourne United pulled off a stunning 99-93 road upset over the Perth Wildcats, spoiling superstar Bryce Cotton’s 250th game celebration. The electric atmosphere at Perth Arena set the stage for a finals-caliber showdown between two of the league’s top teams jockeying for crucial playoff positioning.
Melbourne’s Miraculous Comeback
Despite falling behind early, United refused to fold, mounting a furious rally led by the stellar play of forward Jack White. The former Duke standout was a force on both ends, pouring in 26 points while grabbing 16 rebounds to spearhead Melbourne’s comeback effort.
Those are the types of games that you want to be in and you enjoy the most, and fortunately for us we were able to get the job done.
– Jack White on the playoff-like atmosphere
Melbourne seized control with a decisive run to open the final period, stretching the lead to 13 behind the hot shooting of guard Ian Clark and savvy playmaking of veteran floor general Matthew Dellavedova. Though the Wildcats made a late surge, United held firm to secure the statement victory on the road.
Cooling Off Cotton
The biggest story of the night was Melbourne’s ability to limit the normally explosive Cotton, holding the seven-time scoring champion to just 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting. Blanket defense from Shea Ili and Dellavedova flustered the usually unflappable star into his lowest scoring output in a month.
- Cotton Scoring & Efficiency This Season
- Averaging 26.8 PPG on 48.2% shooting coming into the game
- 14 points on 31.3% FG was his 6th game under 20 points in 2024-25
While Perth’s Kristian Doolittle erupted for a season-high 33 points off the bench, it wasn’t enough to overcome United’s balanced attack. In addition to White’s huge double-double, Clark and Chris Goulding chipped in 16 points apiece as Melbourne secured their 10th win in the last 11 road matchups against their fierce rivals.
Battle for NBL Supremacy
The win vaults United (16-10) into a virtual tie with the Kings (16-10) for second place, while the Wildcats (15-10) remain in the thick of the race for a top-two seed with just two games remaining in the regular season. As the NBL postseason looms, this clash offered a tantalizing preview of the high stakes battles to come.
That was playoff basketball tonight, so for us to go through the remainder of the regular season and for those guys to live in those moments is only going to be beneficial.
– Wildcats coach John Rillie on the game’s postseason tenor
Both teams will look to bounce back in short order, with Melbourne hosting cellar-dweller Cairns and Perth welcoming the surging JackJumpers in a pair of high-stakes weekend affairs. But if Wednesday night was any indication, the road to the NBL championship still runs through these two titans.
Key Takeaways
- White’s huge double-double keyed Melbourne’s upset
- United’s swarming D held Cotton to season-low 14 points
- Melbourne breaks tie with Sydney for 2nd place at 16-10
- Perth still in top-two mix despite rare home loss
- Finals picture crystallizing with two games left
As the NBL’s contenders jockey for prime postseason positioning, Melbourne United fired a resounding shot across the bow with their rousing road victory over the Perth Wildcats. In a preview of the high-intensity hoops in store come playoff time, United proved they have the firepower and grit to hang with any team, anywhere.
