Gleeson expects selflessness from Wildcats

The Perth Wildcats of 2021 are continuing to reflect the identity established by Wildcats teams of the past 35 years – one where players aren’t afraid to put their bodies on the line.

Perth will be chasing a fifth consecutive win when they take on Adelaide at RAC Arena on Monday, and Trevor Gleeson will be expecting more selfless acts from his soldiers.

Friday night’s game saw a true example of that, with starters, rookies and veterans alike all willing to dive for a loose ball or put themselves in harm’s way for the betterment of the team.

“That’s the kind of team we want to be,” said coach Gleeson.

“We want to be the kind of team that has skin off our knees chasing loose balls, not a pretentious team that’s scared to put our body on the line.

“It’s the unselfishness of putting your body on the line for your teammate. If you have that (player) sitting next to you before the game, you know you’re going to go ok, and we’re very fortunate to have a number of those guys.”

The Wildcats have moved to first-place on the ladder and will look to hold that position with a strong showing against the 36ers.

Adelaide are in the midst of a three-game slump, following an overtime loss to South East Melbourne on Saturday.

Star young gun Josh Giddey injured his ankle in the dying minutes of that game, and is in doubt for Monday’s game.

Last time Perth and Adelade met was just a week ago in the final game of the NBL Cup, where the Wildcats pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in NBL history to take the win.

Perth were down by as much as 26 points in that one, before winning by nine.

Tip-off on Monday is at 6.30pm at RAC Arena.

Tickets available here.

Watch the game live on ESPN or SBS On Demand.