Cotton credits fitness after another 40-plus point performance

Cotton starred in the Wildcats' hard-fought 96-86 victory over New Zealand in Auckland on Sunday, scoring 16 of his 41 points in the final term.

It came against the same team that he dropped a club-record 59 points on last month, making it 100 points in his last two outings against the Breakers.

The four-time NBL MVP said his conditioning helped with making big shots late as he steered the Wildcats past a determined Breakers outfit who took the lead on multiple occasions in the second half after trailing by as much as 13 in the third term.

The Wildcats scored 14 of the last 19 points of the game to jump to fourth spot on the NBL ladder with a 12-9 record.

“It all comes down to fitness,” Cotton said.

“We all play hard but it’s about who is a little bit more conditioned towards the end. Luckily for me because of that I’m able to have the same lift in my shot in the fourth quarter as I do in the first.

“It was a back and forth game. They made big shots but I wanted to lock in and try to make the right plays as they happened, whether it as the pass or taking the shot.”

The Wildcats are now 4-1 in the midst of their seven-game stretch on the road with games against Tasmania (in Hobart on Sunday) and Brisbane (in Brisbane next Wednesday) to come.

After their early-season road struggles, Cotton felt the Wildcats now understood what’s required to get the job done away from home.

“We just have an appreciation for each possession throughout the games more than we did earlier in the season,” Cotton said.

“No matter what good plays or bad plays happen in the fourth quarter, sometimes the game is won by a play in the first half. It’s just having that mindset and understanding literally every possession can win or lose you a game. I think it’s been a game changer for us.”