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Perth Wildcats assistant coach Gerard Martin says the Wildcats have “something to prove” in the upcoming clash against the Illawarra Hawks.
Illawarra is the only team Perth has yet to beat this season, defeating them 100-82 in December, halting their six-game winning streak. More recently, the Hawks ended another six-game-winning run to the tune of 77-95 in January at RAC Arena.
The Hawks currently sit in fourth and are one of several teams vying for a spot in the play-in tournament. Further up the ladder, the Wildcats have sewn up a top-two finish despite losing two of their last four games.
Martin says locking in a top-two finish is not a relief, but merely an acknowledgment of everyone’s season-long efforts.
“It's just a nice tip of the cap for us to really be appreciative of all the work we've been putting in throughout the year,” he said.
“It starts way, way back when we're putting the roster together and trying to find out who you want on your team and then preseason.
“But all that work you've put in to get to this point of the year and you know you're in the top two and you have two home games to start us off in the semi-finals is a good feeling to set us up for a championship run.”
However, the Wildcats still have two more games in the regular season before finals against the Hawks and the JackJumpers – both away.
Despite the Hawks being a bogey team for the Wildcats this season, Martin says it’s “business as usual” for his men.
“We might throw out a couple of guys that we feel have been practicing well lately, but we're not worried about any injuries or anything. It's just playing the game to win,” he said.
“We understand if we play the way we have and at the level we are capable of, we're a tough, tough team to beat. So just keep focusing on that offensive flow, moving the ball side to side, not getting stuck on it, and then defensively making things tough in small areas.
“We're not a team that gets out on pressures. We really want to protect the paint, shrink the floor with our links in athleticism, and keep playing around. So, it's nothing new. It's the same stuff.
“We just got to make sure we get this Hawks win so we don't have a sweep, and then go in and have a really good test against the JackJumpers.”
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