Nick Kay has picked up for the Perth Wildcats where he left off in the green and gold with a starring performance in their thrilling season opening win over Melbourne United.
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Following on from a standout showing for Australia in the recent World Cup, the Tamworth product was huge as the defending NBL champions triumphed 94-93 over their grand finals series combatants.
He finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, a game high seven assists and two steals, and earned plenty of praise from Wildcats coach Trevor Gleeson for his efforts.
"Nick's IQ is pretty high out there," Gleeson said extolling his passing abilities.
"He sees the game well and he works hard at it and he's not afraid to give the ball up."
"It's not about him scoring all the time and when he makes those passes, he gets everybody energised."
"He just has to make a couple of lay-ups every now and then," he added in jest.
Kay, whose seven rebounds were the equal best for the game, highlighted the Wildcats' rebounding as a key aspect on Saturday night, and going forward.
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"I think if we can win the boards then a lot of other stuff comes a bit more naturally," he said.
"I think a big part of tonight was 16 offensive rebounds as a team. You get those extra possessions it really helps your team and other guys get more shots."
"If we can keep getting better at that, I think we're going to have a chance of winning more game this season."
It was a game that started in ceremonious style, as the Wildcats raised their ninth championship banner.
However, the home side didn't have it their own way for much of the night - trailing by six points at half-time and 11 during the third quarter.
Looking at an eight-point deficit with three minutes to play, the Wildcats went on a stunning 12-2 run to steal the game, Terrico White slotting three fourth quarter triples - including the game-winner - to sink United.
"Sometimes you've got to have that grit and determination to will yourself to win. Even when they got nine up in the last quarter, the guys maintained and kept on playing," Gleeson said afterwards.
"That's a great asset to have. That grit when things aren't going your way.
"Terrico hit those big buckets in the last quarter and really got us back in there and then got some clean looks. We started moving the ball, and with some pace in the game we looked really good. It just took a while for us to get there."
The Wildcats next face the Illawarra Hawks at RAC Arena on Friday night.
