Perth Wildcats import Mason Jones goes nuts with seven three-pointers in his first game for the club

Perth Wildcats fans have a new cult hero. Import Mason Jones arrived in Perth last week as the final piece of the Wildcats’ puzzle and with the pressure of being the man who was replacing Bryce Cotton as the import guard. Well, it took him one game to show that he will thrive under that pressure. The American scored 22 points, including seven three pointers and he also had seven assists in the 103-93 win against Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings during the pre-season International Series game at Perth High Performance Centre. Jones’ skill under pressure stood out during his first appearance in red. His first points came from a three-pointer as the shot clock expired and he continued to knock down long range shots despite enormous defensive heat. The NBA G-League Finals MVP’s night included three three-pointers in 62 seconds during the third stanza as he roared to six triple from seven attempts. His passing also stood out as being elite and coach John Rillie will be licking his lips at the prospect of Jones getting even better when he adjusts to the club, his teammates and the NBL. “I’ve still got a lot more work to do. I just got off the plane so i’m still trying to get to know the players and I haven’t even had a full practice yet,” Jones told The West Australian. “I’m excited about the season. I missed more than I thought because I should have made every shot today. My teammates were finding me. They told me to be myself and have fun. “I wanted to get my teammates involved and be a team player. I like to see everyone win.” The Golden KIngs led by 10 points during the first quarter after dominating the rebounds. Perth managed only four rebounds for the quarter while the Golden KIngs had 16 and nine of those were offensive. But the Wildcats quickly got the game back on their terms with a second-quarter blitz gaining them the lead after less than two and a half minutes. Jo Lual-Acuil started winning rebounds but the visitors still held a two-point lead at half-time. Perth took a one-point advantage into the last quarter and again it was Jones who gave them a buffer with a big shot when they desperately needed it. Lual-Acuil finished with 16 points and five rebounds. and four blocks while Elijah Pepper (15 points), Dylan Windler (12) and Ben Henshall (11) also stepped up at key moments.