Perth Wildcats 98–97 Adelaide 36ers: how Elijah Pepper stole Bryce Cotton’s 300th game
Elijah Pepper banked in a three while being fouled with 1.9 seconds left, giving Perth a 98–97 win after Adelaide had erased a 15-point deficit behind Bryce Cotton’s 37 points.
Verified brief
The story in 60 seconds
Perth beat Adelaide 98–97 at RAC Arena on September 24, 2026. Pepper’s improbable late four-point opportunity decided a game that swung from a 15-point Perth lead to a 13-point Adelaide lead and back again.
This brief and the full story below are based on the disclosed sources. SearchTrends Daily’s interpretation appears later under “Our take.”
Full reporting
The complete story
The direct answer is that Perth won 98–97 because Elijah Pepper converted the night’s decisive shot with 1.9 seconds remaining. With Adelaide leading by two, Pepper rose for a three while defended by Bryce Cotton, absorbed contact and banked the ball in. The basket put Perth ahead by one and left too little time for the 36ers to answer.
The finish capped a game of dramatic reversals at RAC Arena. Perth opened sharply and led 30–20 after the first quarter. The Wildcats stretched the margin to 15 during the second, but Adelaide forced five Perth turnovers in that period and began to change the game. Cotton then powered the visitors through the third quarter: he scored 18 of his 37 points in the period as Adelaide moved from behind to a 13-point advantage.
Perth still had a route back. Even without import point guard Brandon Knight, the Wildcats kept enough shooting and size on the floor to stay within reach. A late 8–0 Adelaide run appeared to have settled the contest, but Perth found another response before Pepper’s last shot.
Pepper finished with 25 points, three rebounds and three assists on 10-of-17 shooting. Anthony Dell’Orso and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr supplied early scoring as Perth built its opening lead. For Adelaide, Cotton played all but seven seconds of his 300th NBL game and added nine assists and four steals to his 37 points. Zylan Cheatham contributed 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists, while Nick Rakocevic had 20 points and eight rebounds. Adelaide played without Flynn Cameron and Isaac Humphries.
The official club account recorded an attendance of 10,145. The result gave Perth its first win after an opening defeat to South East Melbourne, while Adelaide slipped after beating Melbourne United in its opener.
Source perspectives
What other reporting adds
These are the reports, official records, and trend observations used to build the story. The note under each link explains exactly what it contributes.
Official club match report supporting the 98–97 final score, decisive 1.9-second basket, player statistics, absences, attendance and game flow.
Read original source ↗NBL / Australian Associated PressPepper the hero with game-winning prayerLeague-hosted AAP report independently confirming the 98–97 result, Pepper’s banked three with 1.9 seconds left, Cotton’s milestone and the 15-point-to-13-point swing.
Read original source ↗SearchTrends Daily opinion
Our take
Analysis
What the evidence and search signal suggest
The box score and game flow point to resilience more than dominance. Perth’s first quarter proved it could punish Adelaide before the visitors were organised, while Adelaide’s third-quarter surge proved Cotton can still bend a game around his shot-making and playmaking. Neither team sustained control for four quarters.
Pepper’s winner was a high-variance outcome, not evidence that Perth solved every late-game problem. The more repeatable indicators were its early inside-out scoring and the ability to keep attacking after Adelaide’s comeback. For Adelaide, the repeatable positive was the quality of its response; the concern was allowing one final contested shot to erase it.
Cotton’s 37 points are especially notable because Adelaide was short-handed. That workload may be necessary in isolated games, but the 36ers will want more creation elsewhere once Cameron and Humphries are available. Perth likewise needs cleaner ball security if it wants to avoid turning strong starts into desperate finishes.
Analysis and commentary are SearchTrends Daily’s interpretation. They are intentionally separated from the sourced account above.
Meaning
Why this matters
The ending will dominate searches, but the useful lesson is larger than one spectacular shot. Adelaide showed it can recover from a poor first quarter and create enough pressure to flip a game. Perth showed it can survive without its preferred point-guard structure and still generate a decisive possession. Both strengths came with warnings: the Wildcats lost control after leading by 15, and the 36ers failed to close after leading late.
Background
How we got here
The match carried unusual emotional weight. Cotton spent eight seasons with Perth and returned to RAC Arena in Adelaide colours for his 300th NBL appearance. Trevor Gleeson, now coaching the 36ers, was also facing in Perth the club he previously guided to five championships.
The rivalry had already produced late drama. In an earlier meeting at RAC Arena, Adelaide won 95–94 after Perth surrendered a large lead. Thursday’s 98–97 reversal gave this matchup another one-point finish, but with the final swing belonging to the Wildcats.
Outlook
What is likely to happen next
Perth next hosts the New Zealand Breakers on September 26, while Adelaide returns home to face Cairns on September 27. Watch whether Perth can reduce the long scoreless stretches that allowed Adelaide back in, and whether the 36ers regain Cameron or Humphries. A cleaner Perth performance against the Breakers would strengthen the case that this comeback reflects depth. A balanced Adelaide win without another extreme Cotton workload would soften concerns about its closing execution.
A conditional editorial assessment based on the evidence available at the review date, not a guaranteed outcome.
Live record
Updates to this story
No material updates yet.
Commentary
What we think
SearchTrends Daily opinion: This was a memorable Perth win, but not yet a verdict on either team. The Wildcats deserve credit for refusing to fold and for trusting Pepper at the decisive moment. Adelaide’s comeback was too substantial to dismiss, yet a team with championship ambitions must protect a late lead even on a night when its star is carrying the offence. The fairest early-season read is that both sides have high ceilings and obvious closing-game work to do.