DrinkWise game preview - Round 14: Wildcats v 36ers

Vasiljevic will play his first game in about a month after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Former NBA star Montrezl Harrell, who also didn’t feature when the Wildcats knocked off the 36ers in a high-scoring thriller earlier in the month, is another massive inclusion.

“His pedigree speaks for itself,” Wildcats coach John Rillie said about Harrell, who’s averaging 17 points and eight rebounds since coming back from suspension.

“He’s a physical force one-on-one, his rebounding and the energy he brings to their building when he plays gets 9000 people engaged. It’s about sheerly getting numbers into the fight.

“That was the point against Wollongong. We didn’t have enough people in the fight. We can’t expect one individual to contain the likes of Harrell, Isaac Humphries, Jarell Martin and their slashing guards. We have to get more numbers in the fight and battle it that way.”

The Wildcats will again be missing defensive guns Kristian Doolittle (groin) and Tai Webster (hamstring), making Saturday’s assignment even tougher.

Rillie said rebounding would be the key to defeating the 36ers after a poor showing in that department during Sunday’s loss to ladder leaders Illawarra.

“We’ve won games during the year because of our rebounding,” he said.

“With Wollongong, that’s how they’re winning games. They showed that on Christmas Day. That’s why they are the number-one team right now. That’s something we need to bring consistently if we want to be in the upper echelon of teams.

“Turnovers and rebounding effort are the two things because rebounding forgives a lot of sins at the defensive end. If we sure up that, all of a sudden the defence looks a lot better.”

The Wildcats will be looking for their third road win out of four attempts in the midst of a seven-game away stretch.

It will be the team's last game for 2024.

Game details

Who: Perth Wildcats vs Adelaide 36ers

When: 5pm WST Saturday 28 December

Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Watch: Live on ESPN (via Kayo or Foxtel)

Opposition watch

Other than defensive star Sunday Dech, who remains sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained last time the two sides met, the 36ers are at full strength.

Vasiljevic, who’s averaging 18.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game this season, is a massive inclusion as he teams back up with the in-form Kendric Davis.

The 36ers are currently eighth on the NBL ladder with a 7-10 record after battling with availability issues, losing six of their last seven games.

They do have a much stronger home record, with six or their seven wins coming at Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

Davis is the second-leading scorer in the NBL behind Cotton, averaging 23.93 points to go with a competition-high 7.27 assists.

Last time they met

The meeting meeting between the Wildcats and 36ers became a stunning shootout between the competition’s two most prolific scorers in Cotton and Davis.

Cotton scored 49 points that day amid his golden scoring run as the Wildcats prevailed by 10, while Davis had 37 to go with a game-high 11 assists.

Cotton got better as the game went on, making the most of an untimely hamstring injury to 36ers stopper Sunday Dech to help the Wildcats to an important road victory.