Usher's record debut as Wildcats beat Tassie

The club's newest fan favourite lapped up his first appearance in front of the Red Army, smashing Bryce Cotton's seven-year record for the most points on NBL debut by a Wildcat.

Usher finished with a game-high 35 points, including 13 in the first quarter alone, to inspire his new team to a hard-fought 101-95 win over Tasmania JackJumpers.

His haul beat Cotton's 26-point debut against Sydney back in January, 2017.

Perth's season-opening win wasn't without a scare with Tasmania closing the margin to one point with a little over a minute left on the clock after Jack McVeigh's corner triple.

But Usher responded with a three of his own, his fourth of the match, in what proved to be the final momentum shift of the night.

The victory was soured by a potential ankle injuries to Corey and Tai Webster.

Tai went down earlier in the game, while Corey followed with just two seconds left on the clock after playing an important role with 16 points including four three-pointers.

The visitors jumped out of the blocks, leading 12-0 before a poster dunk from imposing centre Keanu Pinder sparked his new team in the start of a promising, 15-point, five-rebound first game.

Usher then joined in on the action, hitting the Wildcats' next 13 points - including back-to-back threes - in a remarkable blitz to pull the margin back to one by quarter-time.

Cotton (21 points) capped off the quarter with a buzzer-beating three-pointer after consecutive blocks from Alex Sarr and Hyrum Harris at the other end.

It was Cotton time in the second quarter as the superstar caught fire to give Perth the lead for the first time in the match on the way to a 50-45 buffer at the main break.

Import Kristian Doolittle, who only arrived in the country on Wednesday, got his first minutes early in the second and did some good things.

Perth led by as much as 16 points in the last before Tassie hit back to make a game of it.

The Wildcats' next assignment is against South East Melbourne at John Cain Arena before returning home to take on Adelaide the annual Pink Game on Friday night.