The Perth wildcats take down the New Zealand Breakers in a close finish

The Perth wildcats took down the New Zealand Breakers on their home court in what was Cj Bruton’s 499^th game in the league.It was a good game in what was looking it was going to be another blowout home win for the wildcats but the Breakers brought back the deficit and lost 95-91 behind some game winning heroics from James Ennis.

In the first play of the game James Ennis penetrated against Vukona who played some good d but a foul was called and it sent James Ennis to the line for the first 2 points of the game.

Opening scoring for the Breakers Darryl Corletto hit a 3 after Jervis got an easy 2 and Beal hit a 3 and Perth are off on the races. Another 3 by Beal and wildcats are away 10-3 with only 82 minutes gone in the quarter.

Alex Pledger had a fumble in the post and Perth force the turnover who got the outlet pass to Ennis for the fast break, who threw it off the backboard to himself and jammed it through the basket. It was only 3 minutes into the game and Perth were already dominating 12-3.

Another slam from Ennis just past the 5 minute mark and Perth’s transition offense has been too good. 19-8.

Mika Vukona got the rebound off Jermaine Beal’s first missed 3 and drove the ball up the court and took it to Jervis getting the 3 point play.  But immediately after Vukona got his second foul and had to take a seat. 19-12 4min.

Ennis was having a dunk party and he likes to throw it through the basket.

In a mid game interview Ennis had this to say on his self alley-oop jam, “I had a lot on my mind and always wanted to throw it off the back board in a game and Im pretty happy got to do it In a game.”

In the last play of the quarter Ennis worked his way to the foul line to cap a huge first quarter from the Wildcats with a total of 33 points to New Zealand’s 21.

Perth dominated on offense the first quarter  but the breakers at only 12 down didn’t do too badly on offense just played terrible defense. If Matt Knight can run the ball the whole length of the floor and get to the basket their had to be something going wrong on D.

2^nd Qtr.

Matt Knight opened the scoring in the 2^nd with a nice hook shot inside.

Cj Bruton is defending Ennis and doing a good job to contain him.

Alex Pledger finally got the first points in the quarter for the breakers to stop an 8 point run from the wildcats 39-23 7:30 left in the half. Pledger got a good block on Hire and Corey Webster hit a 2 but every time it looked like they would get going Perth breaks them as Beal hit another shot.42-27 and 7 minutes left in the half. Vukona hit a nice hook shot and the Breakers had it back to a 10 point deficit 42-32 and 5:33 left till the main break. James Ennis fouled Abercrombie on a open court fast break and it was called a tech foul and the Breakers had the deficit back to only 6 42-36 at the 5 minute mark.  Breakers have stepped up the defense and gotten a couple of steal to bring them back into the game.

Mika Vukona had a big dunk off a nice dish from Abercrombie and the Breakers are back to only 3 down with 3 minutes left in the half.  Beal knocked down another 3 and Mika Vukona is too smooth with some spin moves going to the basket he has really stepped up his game this season.

Gary Wilkinson gets a tough offensive foul and then gets called for a tech due to complaining and that home court advantage had really stepped up.

In what in my opinion was a Bruton, Vukona lead come back it was a huge quarter for the Breakers who down by 18 early in the quarter got it back to 3 but a rough couple of plays to close the quarter and the Wildcats go into the main break with the lead  50-45.

2nd Half

James Ennis again opened the scoring for the Wildcats in 3^rd quarter with a rebound and little hook on the inside.

Darryl Corletto opened scoring in the the quarter for the Breakers with a nice little floater just in to the keyway and immediately after he made a long 3 to keep the Breakers in it. But James Ennis and Jermaine Beal were making it difficult for the Breakers to keep up. 58-50 and 7:30 left in the quarter. The refs were pretty trigger happy this week after last weeks lapse in tight calls. Ennis hit a nice 3 to take the lead back out to 11 and Damian Martin got a steal from Pledger who wrapped him up which  looked ugly but no tech called as it just looked bad. With Cj on the bench the breakers are back down by double digits and they need his leadership back on the court.

Beal hits a long 3 and the all of a sudden the lead was back out to 16, 3:38 left in the 3rd. Cj Bruton comes back on the floor. They Breakers got it back to 10 but with 2 minutes left but Jermaine Beal hit his 7^th 3 pointer of the game and took the lead back out to 13 and CJ got hit in the face and had to take a seat.

Abercrombie hit a 3 to take the deficit down to 11 76-65 but he fouled Jervis on the buzzer to end to quarter and the wildcats close the 3rd term up 77-65

Tom Abercrombie hit a 3 to open the final quarter and Ennis forced himself to the line to get the Wildcats on the board with 8 minutes left in the game 79-68. A good block by Pledger and a corletto fast break and 3 got the Breakers under 10 79-71 with 7:15 left in the game.  A killer no look pass by Kerron Johnson to TeRang and a Corlletto 3 get the breakers back to a only a 6 point deficit. 79-73 and 6min left.  

With 2 minutes left Kerron Johnson drove to the hole and dished the ball to Vukona to take the deficit to only 1 point and the game had turned around on the Wildcats.

Vukona was called for a foul on Shawn Redhage on another very weak call and the refs did all they can for the fans. He made them both and a tip by Abercrombie made it a 3 point play and it was 86-82, but a Wilkinson drive and 3 point play kept the Breakers alive. 86-85 1:31 left in the game.

In the last two minutes the two teams were trading buckets and every touch Ennis got going to the hole sent him to the line. I'm sure Sam Young wishes he got that kind of treatment.  90-87 with 37 seconds left In what was a looking like a blow out win for the Wildcats in the first quarter turned in to a very close game. In only 6 seconds Johnson got hit to the ground got up and got the ball back then dished it to Wilkinson for an easy lay in and got them down by only 2, 90-89 with 31 seconds left.  In the play of the game Jermaine Beal twisted his ankle but got the ball to James Ennis who with 2 seconds on the shot clock got the shot up from way outside the 3 point line and hit the shot off the backboard to ensure the win. 93-89. With 6 seconds left for the breakers they got a quick 2 from a Wilkonson cut and then a foul Ennis on the inbound to stop the clock who hit them both. The Wildcats won a tough fight and a great game 95-91 with the man of the match James Ennis secured the win.

Also revealed this game apparently James Ennis will most likely be staying the whole season. In what to me was unexpected as a talent like his wont stay out of the NBA for too long.