Arch rivals set to lift the roof in Perth

History will be made on Saturday night in Perth when the 36ers battle their arch-rivals under the stars at RAC Arena.

It will be the first time the NBL has opened the roof in Perth after having big success with Open Air games in the past in Melbourne.

The Open Air showdown is crucial for both sides in the hunt for a vital playoff battle, the Wildcats (11-10) and 36ers (11-11) focusing on a place in the NBL top six by the end of the regular season.

Adelaide head coach CJ Bruton said “there’s no excuses” for his side after the 36ers suffered a 98-82 loss to Tasmania JackJumpers in Hobart on Thursday night.

“It’s about being ready to go, while we are playing at home and playing in front of big crowds, this is playoff basketball, we are about to go into an environment where every game counts,” Bruton said.

“There’s no excuses, from the time we started this season we had to play catch up and every team has had a patch of your playing and travelling.

“We know what we are playing for and we need to be ready.”

As well as the vital place in the NBL23 playoffs, the 36ers and Wildcats will also be playing for the Cattalini Cup on Saturday night.

A win for the 36ers will see Adelaide claim the honours even though the season series will be split at 2-2.

Perth has defeated Adelaide twice this season, 94-89 on November 5 and 98-90 on December 9, but the 36ers took a confidence-boosting 96-82 success at RAC Arena on November 24.

The 36ers already holding the points split, a victory is all that is required for Adelaide to claim the Cattalini Cup.

Adelaide travelled to Perth from Hobart via Melbourne on Friday and Bruton knows the Wildcats will be waiting in Perth ready to pounce.

“You got to look after your body, it’s a long flight from here (Hobart), we have got some work to do and we need to be ready to go,” Bruton said.

Power forward Robert Franks, who scored a team-high 24 points on 5/7 shooting from downtown against Tasmania, said the side has renewed focus for the Perth challenge.

“We know what we got to do, the season is on the line, so we got to go fight and try to get that win,” Franks said.

Adelaide got a taste of life at RAC Arena with the roof open on Friday night during shootaround and Bruton is excited for the opportunity of Saturday’s Open Air game.

“It’s exciting go to play the Wildcats, I saw my father coach them to their first championship,” Bruton said.

“To be able to compete and play against them in finals series, while this is another challenge in a different environment and different stage, always honoured to be part of those settings.”

Franks said he’s excited for Saturday night’s game, his first without a roof.

“It’s my first time (playing in an open air game), it’s going to be exciting,” Franks said.

“You don’t get to play in a game like that every so often.”

PERTH WILDCATS vs ADELAIDE 36ERS
RAC Arena, Saturday 7.30pm (ACDT)
LIKELY STARTERS
Wildcats: T. Webster, Cotton, C. Webster, Manek, Thomas
36ers: McCarron, Drmic, Cleveland, Franks, Sotto
LAST TIME
PERTH WILDCATS 98 (Cotton 32, Thomas 22, Webster 22) def ADELAIDE 36ERS 90 (McCarron 20, Franks 19, Cleveland 13) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
BOX SCORE