Norton defence leads Wildcats past Kings

Mitch Norton has highlighted his case for the NBL Best Defensive Player award with a stifling performance against the Sydney King’s star guard Casper Ware.

Perth won the Thursday night battle 81-67 to keep their top-spot hopes alive.

Norton’s defensive performance was a big reason for the win, holding Ware to zero from 11 from the field for a total of one point for the game.

The Wildcats vice-captain was able to add 11 points and six assists of his own on the offensive end.

“It reminds us why he should be the leading candidate for defensive player of the year. To hold Casper, one of the premier players in the League, to one point… It’s a testament to what he’s done all season,” said Trevor Gleeson.

“That’s just a glimpse of Norto playing his role on the team. And obviously getting us in good sets down the other end as well.”

Without Bryce Cotton, the Wildcats piled on a 14-0 run in the second quarter and the Kings wouldn’t recover.

Todd Blanchfield had a game-high 23 and John Mooney had another double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Luke Travers put on a show in one of his best games of the season, scoring a career-high equalling 16 points and grabbing eight rebounds.

Gleeson described the result as a statement win.

“We don’t need someone to jump out of their skin and drop 40, but we need the guys to play the right way and I thought that was Wildcats Basketball, especially when we got our tails up in the second quarter,” he said.

“We were playing hard and had each other’s back. We often talk about it and it was great to see it on the court.”

The win takes the Wildcats record to 25-9 with two games left to play in the regular season.

Perth Wildcats 81 (Blanchfield 23, Mooney 19, Travers 16)

Sydney Kings 67 (Martin 20, Hunter 14, Cooks 10)