2026-02-20

Perth 86 - 74 Adelaide

The Perth Wildcats secured an 86–74 victory over the Adelaide 36ers, primarily on the strength of a 29–17 second-quarter surge. While Adelaide remained competitive through the third period, Perth's superior perimeter shooting and consistency at the free-throw line allowed them to maintain a double-digit cushion for much of the final frame. The Wildcats finished with a 52.2% effective field goal percentage compared to Adelaide's 46.8%, capitalizing on a 10-of-25 (40%) performance from three-point range.

Elijah Pepper led all scorers with 22 points, including six three-pointers on 10 attempts, significantly exceeding his season scoring average of 10.7 points per game. Jo Lual-Acuil Jr provided efficient interior production with 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting, while veteran Jesse Wagstaff contributed 18 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Wagstaff’s performance was a notable departure from his season average of 3.3 points per game, as he played 22 minutes and converted five of six free throws. For the 36ers, Nick Rakocevic led the scoring with 18 points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes of action.

Statistical disparities at the line and from distance were the defining factors of the contest. Perth converted 84.2% of their free throws (16-of-19), while the 36ers struggled at 68.2% (15-of-22). Adelaide also committed 15 turnovers, leading to a higher turnover percentage (17.1%) than Perth (13.7%). Despite both teams finishing even on total rebounds with 38 apiece, Perth's outside shooting efficiency—making three more triples on the same number of attempts as Adelaide—proved to be the decisive advantage.

Box Score Shooting Lineups