Dylan Windler scored 18 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter as Perth beat the New Zealand Breakers 100–84 at RAC Arena on Saturday night. His seven three-pointers delivered the Wildcats’ fourth straight win — and a reminder of his scoring ceiling for fantasy managers.
The losing side produced an even bigger individual line: Sam Mennenga finished with 40 points and 18 rebounds, keeping New Zealand competitive without Parker Jackson-Cartwright. Brandon Knight, meanwhile, made his NBL debut for Perth, scoring six points in approximately 19 minutes.
Those performances require different readings. Windler supplied an explosive shooting night, Mennenga carried a substantial scoring burden, and Knight offered a first look at a backcourt rotation still taking shape.
Windler turns a close contest into a clear win
The final margin disguises how much work Perth still had to do entering the fourth quarter. New Zealand trailed just 70–66 before the Wildcats won the last term 30–18.
Windler was the difference. He hit four three-pointers in the final quarter and finished 7-of-12 from beyond the arc, according to AAP’s match report. The West Australian independently reported his 18-point closing term and 32-point total.
Elijah Pepper added 25 points, giving Perth another significant scoring contribution on the night its new import guard entered the rotation.
For fantasy purposes, Windler’s 12 three-point attempts are worth noting alongside the seven makes. That is meaningful shooting volume, but converting more than half of those attempts is not a sensible baseline for future projections. This performance demonstrates his upside; it does not establish 32 points as a new expectation.
Pepper’s output also matters. Knight’s arrival did not prevent him from scoring heavily in this game. That is useful early evidence, although one restricted debut cannot settle how Perth’s backcourt opportunities will eventually be distributed.
Mennenga’s monster line comes with important context
Mennenga’s 40 points and 18 rebounds were not a late statistical flourish in a decided game. He scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the opening quarter, and had a double-double after only 14 minutes, as The West reported.
He also stretched Perth’s defence, making five of eight three-point attempts. His combination of interior production and outside shooting helped keep the Breakers within striking distance through three quarters.
New Zealand were missing Jackson-Cartwright through a lower-leg injury. That absence is essential context when assessing Mennenga’s performance: the Breakers were playing without a major source of scoring and creation. Our Jackson-Cartwright availability report explains the situation heading into the Perth game.
The fantasy takeaway is to monitor whether Mennenga continues to shoulder this much offence while Jackson-Cartwright is unavailable. The rebounds strengthen the appeal of his performance beyond scoring alone, but five made threes remain part of an exceptional night rather than a repeatable assumption.
This was evidence that Mennenga can carry New Zealand’s attack when needed — not proof that every game without Jackson-Cartwright will produce the same result.
Knight’s debut is a starting point, not a settled role
Knight finished with six points, two rebounds, one assist, two steals and a block. He also committed five turnovers. The West reported his approximately 19-minute outing, while AAP confirmed the scoring and turnover totals.
His limited court time was consistent with the pre-game expectation of restricted minutes, covered in our Knight debut preview. It should not automatically be read as his long-term role.
For managers considering Knight, the next useful evidence is his minutes progression and whether he can turn more possessions into assists while reducing turnovers. The defensive contributions were encouraging, but this was not yet a strong scoring or playmaking return.
Perth left with the win and a spectacular Windler finish. For fantasy decisions, the sharper distinction is between a demonstrated ceiling, an injury-shaped scoring burden and a debut that still leaves plenty to learn.
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