The Brisbane Bullets have made an emphatic return to the NBL, winning their first match in front of a big crowd at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre by seven points over defending champions the Perth Wildcats.
It wasn’t particularly pretty, or a free flowing game but rather one which was dominated by defence as the Bullets came back from 13 points down at one point during the first half, running away with the match during the third quarter.
It was all the Wildcats early on, as the defensive game of Damian Martin shut down any production Jermaine Beal might have been able to offer.
That all turned around though when Beal caught fire early in the third quarter, putting up plenty of points in a hurry on his way to ending the game with 14 including some monster three pointers.
Torrey Craig was the other for Brisbane, and the man that stemmed the bleeding after the gap had reached 13 as he threw down a runaway slam dunk, and then a three pointer to get the crowd on their feet and put Perth on the back foot.
The Wildcats offence simply struggled all game long, and as their defence just couldn’t keep them in it through the second half as the Bullets found their feet, staying in the game became exceedingly difficult.
Jameel McKay started the game very strongly for Perth, and continued throughout as he ended on a game high 18 points and also came up with seven rebounds.
Apart from McKay and Martin’s fantastic defence, there was little to cheer about for Perth apart from a few odd scoring streaks sparked from Casey Prather.
Jaron Johnson, their other import struggled throughout the contest to handle the Brisbane defence, which only improved as things went along.
The third quarter in fact, led by Beal and Craig saw a 15-point turnaround as the Bullets outscored Perth 29-14.
Adam Gibson was also cool, calm and collected during the second half as the Bullets turned the deficit into a lead, knocking down some big shots and orchestrating the Brisbane offence beautifully.
The last quarter saw the Wildcats again struggling to get into the contest, and they went into the final couple of minutes down by anywhere between three and seven points.
Jesse Wagstaff missed a wide open three, among plenty of other misses from the Wildcats veteran line up and it leaves plenty of questions over them moving forward, and in a position of wanting a big win when they return home to take on the Cairns Taipans on Saturday night.
The Bullets will be confident about their chances, particularly considering they were without Cameron Bairstow and Daniel Kickert didn’t have anywhere near a game of his normal standards – although he will need to when they travel south to play the Sydney Kings on Saturday.
So then, the Bullets marking their return to the league with a seven-point victory over the Wildcats, and announcing they will be a team to be reckoned with this season.
Final score
Brisbane Bullets 72
Perth Wildcats 65
The long wait is over! The NBL season finally gets underway as the Brisbane Bullets make their return to the league against defending premiers the Perth Wildcats at the 13,000 seat Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Join The Roar for our live blog from 7:30pm (AEDT).
The Bullets, given they had to work from the ground up, have built a very strong roster for the season and are a genuine chance at making the finals.
Adam Gibson, who started his career with the club, was one of the first signed and will control the team from two-guard, while Daniel Kickert was signed from Melbourne United to man the paint.
Arguably the Brisbane-based club’s biggest signing though is Jermaine Beal. From the Wildcats, the import broke the three-point shooting record in a 40-minute game last year, and was a key asset as Perth won the premiership.
While he did tend to be inconsistent at the Wildcats, it will be interesting to see how he goes with an increased role, not playing alongside Damian Martin and Casey Prather.
The Wildcats, who need to bury some questions after a very ordinary pre-season, are expected to play a very different style of basketball to the one that won them the competition last season.
Instead of the physical, hard-nosed approach which we could well see in Brisbane when they have a bigger line-up on the floor, Perth will be looking to get out and run the floor.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked in the pre-season, but those results always have to be taken with a grain of salt.
If they do play that style, then the role of Casey Prather is going to be amplified and Martin needs to refine his game.
They will also have a large amount of pressure on bench veterans Jesse Wagstaff and Shawn Redhage, while Lucas Walker has big shoes to fill with Matty Knight out for the first part of the season.
The other key point to take into this game is that it will be played at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, rather than the much smaller convention centre located at Southbank.
With a big crowd expected, that could well play into the Bullets’ hands as they try to get an all-important first-up win on their return to the league against the ever-consistent and successful Wildcats.
Prediction
As much as we would all like the Bullets’ return to the league to be a triumphant one, the Wildcats have too much experience and even on the road should manage to win – it will be close, but they should pull away down the stretch.
Wildcats by 7.
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Scott Pryde
Expert
Match Results The Brisbane Bullets have made an emphatic return to the NBL, winning their first match in front of a big crowd at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre by seven points over defending champions the Perth Wildcats. It wasn't particularly pretty, or a free flowing game but rather one which was dominated by defence as the Bullets came back from 13 points down at one point during the first half, running away with the match during the third quarter. It was all the Wildcats early on, as the defensive game of Damian Martin shut down any production Jermaine Beal might have been able to offer. That all turned around though when Beal caught fire early in the third quarter, putting up plenty of points in a hurry on his way to ending the game with 14 including some monster three pointers. Torrey Craig was the other for Brisbane, and the man that stemmed the bleeding after the gap had reached 13 as he threw down a runaway slam dunk, and then a three pointer to get the crowd on their feet and put Perth on the back foot. The Wildcats offence simply struggled all game long, and as their defence just couldn't keep them in it through the second half as the Bullets found their feet, staying in the game became exceedingly difficult. Jameel McKay started the game very strongly for Perth, and continued throughout as he ended on a game high 18 points and also came up with seven rebounds. Apart from McKay and Martin's fantastic defence, there was little to cheer about for Perth apart from a few odd scoring streaks sparked from Casey Prather. Jaron Johnson, their other import struggled throughout the contest to handle the Brisbane defence, which only improved as things went along. The third quarter in fact, led by Beal and Craig saw a 15-point turnaround as the Bullets outscored Perth 29-14. Adam Gibson was also cool, calm and collected during the second half as the Bullets turned the deficit into a lead, knocking down some big shots and orchestrating the Brisbane offence beautifully. The last quarter saw the Wildcats again struggling to get into the contest, and they went into the final couple of minutes down by anywhere between three and seven points. Jesse Wagstaff missed a wide open three, among plenty of other misses from the Wildcats veteran line up and it leaves plenty of questions over them moving forward, and in a position of wanting a big win when they return home to take on the Cairns Taipans on Saturday night. The Bullets will be confident about their chances, particularly considering they were without Cameron Bairstow and Daniel Kickert didn't have anywhere near a game of his normal standards - although he will need to when they travel south to play the Sydney Kings on Saturday. So then, the Bullets marking their return to the league with a seven point victory over the Wildcats, and announcing they will be a team to be reckoned with this season. Final score Brisbane Bullets 72 Perth Wildcats 65
Scott Pryde
Expert
Full report to follow shortly. Thanks for joining me this evening on The Roar for our live coverage of the 2016-17 NBL season as the Brisbane Bullets returned to the league in emphatic style, defeating the Perth Wildcats by seven points. Hopefully you enjoyed the coverage. There is a double header tomorrow, so be sure to tune in for that as I bring you Melbourne United vs New Zealand Breakers at 5:30pm (AEDT) before Connor Bennett covers the Illawarra Hawks vs Adelaide 36ers at 7:30pm. Before then, I'll be back with qualifying for the Bathurst 1000 from 3:50pm (AEDT). Bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Statistics Leaders BRISBANE BULLETS Points: Torrey Craig (16), Jermaine Beal (14), Adam Gibson (11) Rebounds: Torrey Craig, Mitchell Young (7), Tom Jervis (6) Assists: Shaun Bruce, Anthony Petrie (2) PERTH WILDCATS Points: Jameel McKay (18), Casey Prather (9), Jesse Wagstaff (7) Rebounds: Jameel McKay (7), Jaron Johnson, Jesse Wagstaff (6) Assists: Damian Martin (4), Casey Prather (2)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Match Statistics Field goals: Bullets (26/61 @ 42%), Wildcats (25/65 @ 38%) Three points: Bullets (8/15 @ 53%), Wildcats (4/21 @ 19%) Free throws: Bullets (12/14 @ 85%), Wildcats (11/17 @ 64%) Rebounds: Bullets (38), Wildcats (39) Assists: Bullets (8), Wildcats (10) Steals: Bullets (6), Wildcats (5) Blocks: Bullets (1), Wildcats (3) Turnovers: Bullets (12), Wildcats (12) Points in paint: Bullets (32), Wildcats (36) Second chance points: Bullets (13), Wildcats (24) Points off turnovers: Bullets (16), Wildcats (13) Bench points: Bullets (18), Wildcats (19)
Rellum
Roar Guru
The Threes, as I thought help us out, helping opening out the paint. Craig still looks rusty and with Bairstow coming back the inside options will be fixed up so, in attack the Bullets are looking good for a top three finish.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Got to love hearing the Fox team when they think they are off air
Scott Pryde
Expert
Quarter-by-Quarter Scoring Breakdown 1st Quarter Bullets 9 - Wildcats 20 2nd Quarter Bullets 21 - Wildcats 20 3rd Quarter Bullets 29 - Wildcats 14 4th Quarter Bullets 13 - Wildcats 11 FULLTIME Brisbane Bullets 72 Perth Wildcats 65
Scott Pryde
Expert
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thoughts on the game roarers?
Scott Pryde
Expert
Well, well - Brisbane are back with a bang. Stats and report to come shortly.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Fantastic win, fantastic comeback.
Scott Pryde
Expert
FULLTIME That's it! Prather fires up a shot but it won't matter! Brisbane have beat the defending champions in their return match to the NBL! What a victory! Brisbane Bullets - 72 Perth Wildcats - 65
Rellum
Roar Guru
Great win by the boys, now come on Bulls
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 0' The Bullets go to Beal and he dribbles his way around McKay who eventually fouls with 10 on the clock. Now into the bonus and from the inbound there is an immediate foul on Kickert. 7 seconds to go and he is off to the strike. Dumb play from the Wildcats - lost 20 seconds to get the foul. Kickert knocks down both and they will win the match. Bullets - 72 Wildcats - 65
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 0' Bullets with subs to get their free throw shooters in and Bruce winds the clock down to 17 before having it tapped out of bounds. Bullets - 70 Wildcats - 65
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 0' Hire makes both shots from the strike. Bullets - 70 Wildcats - 65
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 0' The Wildcats get into the paint with a miss, then an offensive board for Hire and a foul is called. Bullets - 70 Wildcats - 63
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 0' Time out called. 31 seconds to go. Bullets - 70 Wildcats - 63
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 0' The crowd are on their feet and the Bullets go to the basket through Craig who has drawn the foul. Got around the defence and then ran into Hire. Bullets - 70 Wildcats - 63
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 1' Gibson links with Bruce but he misses before Wagstaff misses a corner 3. Bullets - 70 Wildcats - 63