DrinkWise game preview - Round 12: Wildcats v Taipans

Pinder, who missed the Wildcats’ last three games due to illness, is back to face his former team where he won back-to-back NBL Most Improved Player awards.

His inclusion will be all the more important given import Kristian Doolittle’s absence due to a groin injury sustained against Illawarra last Friday night.

Nominated Replacement Player Todd Withers has made the trip to Queensland and will come in for Doolittle in a huge boost.

“He’s come back very well. He’s had a great week,” Rillie said about Pinder. 

“The way we’ve been playing allows him to just slowly ease back into it, with Izan (Almansa) and Dave Okwera with his minutes, so he can just give us what he can right now.”

The Wildcats earned a crucial road victory, just their second of NBL25, against Adelaide on Sunday.

It was the first of a seven-game road stretch for the fourth-placed Wildcats due to RAC Arena being unavailable for the annual United Cup tennis tournament.

Coach John Rillie said the 42-day period without a home game would “see who we really are as a team”.

“It’s a good stretch for us to see who we really are as a team,” Rillie said.

“I preach about if you want to win championships and play-off games, you’ve got to go on the road and win. 

“This stretch really allows us to figure out how we can travel, how we need to prep for teams on the road and in a hostile environment. 

“Let’s lock in, let’s get the job done. No excuses.” 

Rillie expects a “dog fight” against the Taipans and has plenty of respect for the Adam Forde-coached outfit.

“If we just purely look at their record, we’ll be in for a dogfight of a game,” Rillie added. 

“We’re going to have full respect for who they are.”

Game details

Who: Perth Wildcats vs Cairns Taipans

When: 5pm WST Saturday 14 December

Where: Cairns Convention Centre

Watch: Live on ESPN (via Kayo or Foxtel)

Opposition watch

Cairns are on an 11-game losing streak but have come close to ending that horror run in recent weeks.

Guards Rob Edwards and Taran Armstrong hold the key to a Taipans victory.

Edwards is in the top-five point-scorers in the competition, averaging 19.14 per game, and is coming off a 24-point, seven-rebound performance against SEM Phoenix last week.

Armstrong had 18 and six in the same game and is building nicely after an ankle injury.

Last time they met

The Wildcats and Taipans have only faced off once in NBL25, when Perth came away with a hard-fought victory in the Far North.

Perth were leading for the majority of the game before the hosts stormed home in the final quarter to make a contest of it.

The Wildcats held on 90-87 with Bryce Cotton starring with 35 points and Kristian Doolittle (19 points and 11 rebounds) posting a double-double.