NBL Wrap: Round 15 - Cotton and Law carry Perth to perfect week, Hugo Besson stock booms, and Throwdown derby delivers

Jed Wells

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NBL Wrap: Round 15 - Cotton and Law carry Perth to perfect week, Hugo Besson stock booms, and Throwdown derby delivers image

Here comes Perth. 

We all knew it was coming, but round 15 confirmed what almost all NBL fans have known for far too long - never count out the boys out West. 

There was also more shuffling in the top four this round - Sydney jump to third, South East Melbourne are down to fourth, and Illawarra are on the outside looking in. 

This is where it gets fun. 

Missed the round 14 action? Check out our wrap with all the major moments.

Perth wrap up undefeated week with monster OT performances from Cotton and Law

Never count out Perth. It’s a lesson that the NBL has learnt time and again, and once more the Wildcats have begun to rise, winning three straight in round 15 against Melbourne, Brisbane, and New Zealand. 

To watch every game of the 2021/22 NBL season, sign up to Kayo. Just want a taste? Each week, Kayo offers Sunday's 1pm and 3pm game as part of its Freebies offering. No credit card required. 

The most impressive result is obviously the ten-point win over top team Melbourne United, but the standout from their three-game run was an overtime extravaganza against the New Zealand Breakers that saw Vic Law deliver a league season-high 39 points, plus the late-game heroics from Bryce Cotton we’ve come to expect. 

Cotton scored 12 of the Wildcats’ 16 points in overtime, seemingly getting it from wherever he wanted, including the eventual game-winning three with two seconds left in the game. 

This now means that Law has the top two highest-scoring games of the season, 39 against New Zealand and 37 against Adelaide in early December, and places the Wildcats only one game behind Melbourne for the top spot on the ladder. 

Melbourne Derby leaves Phoenix in precarious position as Hawks fall out of the four 

It’s a matchup that has already produced some fiery moments this season, and the most recent edition of the Melbourne United vs South East Melbourne rivalry has lived up to the hype - this time Melbourne United scraping out an eight-point win. 

The Phoenix lead through three quarters off the back of the dynamic scoring from Xavier Munford, but the fourth quarter was an onslaught from Melbourne, outsourcing SEM 32-17 over the final period. 

Ryan Broekhoff missed the second half with a shoulder injury, which no doubt impacted the Phoenix’s chances; so too did the ejection of Mitch Creek, who picked up his second technical foul stepping over the baseline while defending an inbound pass. 

But the true X-factor was Chris Goulding, who waited until the end of the game to make his mark. But boy did he make it. 

Goulding finished with 16 in the game - 13 of these came in the fourth quarter, including one three launched from near half-court as CG43 took over the game and delivered Melbourne a much-needed win, saving them from their first back to back loss since the opening two rounds of the NBL. 

This loss for South East Melbourne drops them to fourth, holding a half-game lead over the Illawarra Hawks who lost in a heartbreaker against the Tasmania Jack Jumpers.

Hugo Besson increases draft stock despite lackluster Breakers season 

The New Zealand Breakers began the season excited to employ the services of one of the most exciting NBA draft prospects of the year, and they are currently seeing the dynamic play of one of the top prospects… just not the one they envisioned. 

To watch every game of the 2021/22 NBL season, sign up to Kayo. Just want a taste? Each week, Kayo offers Sunday's 1pm and 3pm game as part of its Freebies offering. No credit card required. 

Hugo Besson has been a revelation for the Breakers, and he showed as much in their loss to Perth, 23 points off the bench on 8-16 shooting, including 6-11 from three. 

The Breakers may have been anticipating the Ousmane Dieng emergence, but it is fellow Frenchman Besson who has been the standout this year, averaging 14.6 points on 41% this season, a bright spot in an otherwise bleak year for the Kiwis. 

ESPN currently have Besson 35th on his rankings, just outside the first round, and The Athletic have him 40th. However, should Besson continue his hot form, don’t be surprised if he rises up the ranks. 
 

Jed Wells

Jed Wells Photo

Jed is a writer and social media producer, who has a keen interest in the intersection of sports and popular culture, especially basketball.