Perth Wildcats lose to Illawarra Hawks as Bryce Cotton scores 40 points and Kristian Doolittle is injured

Another 40-point game from superstar Bryce Cotton wasn’t enough to lift Perth to victory over Illawarra on Friday night as the Wildcats suffered another huge injury blow. Cotton followed his incredible 59-point game against New Zealand with 40-points, making it the first time in his NBL career that he’d had successive 40-point games. He had 36 points at three quarter-time and was on track to lift his team to victory, but the Hawks controlled the key late moments and won 121-111. The Wildcats couldn’t keep Illawarra away from the free throw line and were clearly beaten in rebounds after entering the game without Keanu Pinder (tonsillitis) and then losing Doolittle to a groin injury in the opening minute. Doolittle also sat out three quarters of the away loss to Brisbane with knee soreness and Perth were comprehensively beaten in the match. “People around the league are finally realising the value he is at both ends of he floor,” Wildcats coach John Rillie said. “When you lose him, then all of a sudden we lean on Jesse really heavily. We were getting Izan to play a little longer than we would like because tonight was a physical game so you need to be able to throw bodies at them to compete with that. When both Doolittle and KP are out, it really does test us.” Doolittle will have scans on Saturday morning as his team prepares to travel to Adelaide to face the 36ers on Sunday. Injuries have been a huge issue all season. Pinder has missed three games due to concussion and tonsilitis and won’t play on Sunday. Cotton’s rib injury cost him five matches. Dylan Windler has watched on for three matches following ankle and Achilles problems. Tai Webster was unavailable for five games amid calf, adductor and hamstring problems. Captain Jesse Wagstaff sat out two games while recovering from illness. The Wildcats led by five points at three quarter time but were beaten 33-20 in the final period. Illawarra threw themselves at every contest, creating deflections and diving on the floor to win important possessions. “It was very important,” Hawks coach Justin Tatum said. “One of the reasons why we won the game was we talked about in the huddle was that we have to do the one per cent that everybody doesn’t want to do. That’s to dive on the floor, chase the loose balls down and taking charges. “I reminded my boys about the situation. When Mason (Peatling) had the opportunity to dive on the floor, got that steal and we got a lay-up, that fulled us to keep going. That’s the things you’ve got to do to beat a team like Perth.”