Windler, Cotton, Pinder impress as Wildcats down 36ers on the road

Windler capped off a big week, where he became a father for the first time, with a starring role as the Wildcats made it three away wins from their last four attempts.

The important 116-92 result was a 58-point turnaround from last Sunday’s loss to Illawarra, with a much-improved performance at both ends of the floor.

Windler finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four blocks, in a team missing injured guns Kristian Doolittle (groin) and Tai Webster (hamstring).

There were plenty of other contributors including four-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton, who amassed a 21-point, 11-assist double-double despite plenty of attention from the opposition, and big men Keanu Pinder (23 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals) and Izan Almansa (11 points and seven rebounds).

The hot three-point shooting (21 of 42) and lop-sided rebounding count (51-39) were the most impressive parts of the Wildcats' win from a team perspective.

Dylan Windler at the half:

🔥 20 points (equal career-high)
🔥 6 3PM (career-high)
🔥 4 rebounds
🔥 2 blocks (equal career-high)

New Dad things! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/UuHsmLksdD

— Perth Wildcats (@PerthWildcats) December 28, 2024

It took Cotton 21 seconds to open his scoring account, hitting a massive triple.

He followed that up with a trio of free throws in a frenetic opening minute.

Windler joined the three-point party with a pair of triples either side of a dunk and the Wildcats were up 17-9 midway through the first term.

Returning sharpshooter Dejan Vasiljevic had a purple patch at the other end to help level the scores at 17-apiece.

Wildcats skipper Jesse Wagstaff had an impact off the bench late in the opening quarter, but the two teams couldn’t be separated at quarter-time with the scores at 26-all.

Windler’s big game continued after the break, nailing back-to-back threes to be the first player to reach double digits.

His efforts at the defensive end of the floor were also impressive, rebounding with his usual intensity and producing a team-lifting block.

The former first-round NBA draft pick equalled his season-high three-point tally of five by midway through the second term as the Wildcats opened up a 40-31 lead.

Cotton was getting fouled regularly, with his opponent Keanu Rasmussen up to three fouls by late in the first half.

He found some space before half-time for consecutive threes to move to 14 points and a team-high four assists.

Windler had six of eight from downtown on the way to a game-high 20 points for the half to give Perth a healthy 55-42 buffer.

That lead grew further in the third term, to more than 20 points at one stage, as the Wildcats took control of the contest with Wagstaff, Pinder and Next Star Izan Almansa all prominent.

The 36ers went on a 6-0 run late in the quarter but it was still a 15-point ballgame at three-quarter time.

From there it was one-way traffic as the Wildcats stormed home for a crucial win to take their season ledger to 11-9.

Development Play Dontae Russo-Nance had the Wildcats' bench on their feet with his first triple in the NBL and followed it up with his second.

The Wildcats are back on the road next week for their fifth away game in a row, taking on New Zealand Breakers in Auckland on Sunday 5 January.