James Batemon has become just the second player to score a half-century in a 40-minute NBL game, the Brisbane Bullets guard hitting nine threes and finishing with 51 points in Sunday's 105-84 win over the Perth Wildcats.
Batemon made a slow start to the season as point guard, but his move to the bench to provide scoring punch with captain Mitch Norton starting in the one spot had been working well.
The move had seen him average 15.2 points over the past six matches, and he went up another level on Sunday afternoon at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
Batemon started in the absence of Casey Prather (hip) after Brisbane's loss in Hobart to the Tasmania JackJumpers on Friday night, and he was the difference against the Wildcats.
Bryce Cotton wasn’t able to replicate his heroics for Perth from Friday night when he had 33 points in his return from a rib injury in the win against the South East Melbourne Phoenix.
Cotton ended up missing his first 11 shots on Sunday, but it was the opposite story for Batemon, who hit four three-pointers in the first quarter, four more in the third and finished with 9-of-15 for the game.
By the time he hit his fourth in the third period, he had helped the Bullets to a 10-point lead and they turned that into the 21-point win, with his 51 points a new league 40-minute scoring record.
Batemon is just the second player since the NBL reverted to 40-minute games in the 2009/10 season to hit 50 after Chris Goulding's 50-point showing for the Melbourne Tigers in 2014.
After Sunday's match, Batemon said he got nervous approaching 40 points, let alone the 50-point mark.
"When I looked up at the scoreboard, the most nervous I've ever been honestly in basketball was shooting that free-throw when I had 39," he said.
"I was thinking, 'Man I'm about to get 40, I've never scored over 34'.
"I can't really explain the feeling, I'm still up on a high right now and it's amazing the crowd kept giving me energy and the teammates.
"It was like I was in a movie, man, it was crazy."
Next Star Rocco Zikarsky got more opportunity after foul trouble to Tyrell Harrison (10 points, six rebounds) to also score a career-high 13 points to go with six boards, while Keandre Cook hit four three-pointers for 17 points, five rebounds and five assists.
The Wildcats are now 6-7 ahead of the week's break, with Keanu Pinder starring with 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting.
Kristian Doolittle wasn't seen after quarter-time because of a knee complaint.
Cotton finished with 13 points on 3-of-16 shooting in his second game back, with Tai Webster adding 11 points and Ben Henshall 10.
Wildcats coach John Rillie said he never felt his team could get their teeth stuck into the contest.
"When we're dialled in and locked in defensively we're a very good team, and offensively when we're moving and sharing the ball we're tough to defend," he said.
"Tonight we didn’t have that for consistent and long enough periods to arrest the momentum into our favour."
