Cool Cotton clinches one-point win for Cats over Tassie

In front of 12,600 fans, Cotton hit a clutch three and a pair of game-winning free throws in the final minute of the stunning 89-88 win.

Wearing the DC Multiverse Round’s Atom Smasher jersey, the three-time NBL MVP turned into an Ant smasher with a team-high 28 points, eight rebounds and four assists against the JackJumpers.

It means the Wildcats head into their four-game away stint in third place with a 9-6 record.

After a rare quiet game in last week’s shock loss to Illawarra, Cotton looked on from the get-go, following up a pinpoint assist to Keanu Pinder with a big three.

Tai Webster, back in the starting five after missing the Hawks clash due to illness, also made a couple of big first-quarter plays.

Webster’s energy was important, contributing much more than his stats line of 10 points and four rebounds.

Jordon Crawford, who finished with a game-high 29 points but missed his late chance to give Tassie the win, was causing plenty of issues at the other end, taking just six minutes to reach double digits to help the visitors to a 26-23 quarter-time advantage.

Tasmania’s lead grew to as much as 16 in the second term before Cotton inspired a Wildcats fightback, hitting shot after shot during a 10-point blitz to pull the margin back to 48-40 at the main break.

Pinder was a real spark to start the second half, doing some exceptional things at both ends of the floor.

If he wasn’t making layups, he was swatting the ball away or reeling in defensive boards on the way to 15 points, six rebounds and four assists for the game.

It was a see-sawing third term with the margin cut back to one point and going back out to double digits before Perth enjoyed a late surge before three-quarter time.

Jesse Wagstaff (10 points and five rebounds) hit a three before Kristian Doolittle’s buzzer-beating jump shot made the deficit 71-68 at the final change.

After trailing since late in the first quarter, Tai Webster massive three with 1:18 on the clock to tie things up at 84-apiece.

Cotton then followed it up with a triple with 40 seconds left to make it 87-86.

Former Wildcat Will Magnay snatched the lead before momentary for Tassie before Cotton’s successful free throws.