I can't see any result but a kings win, cats will be competitive, fall away at back end. Kings bench led by Glover, Bruce etc just better than cats, starters other than Cotton are only equal or inferior. Can Cotton and the Webster brothers do something extraordinary, let’s hope so, just don’t see it.

Sydney buy 15.

Unfortunately I can't see the Cats getting the win. Looking forward to seeing T Webster. Travers is a big out. Sydney will just have too much firepower inside and outside

If Perth can find Thomas inside, and he can find shooters outside, the Cats will run up a big score and give themselves a chance, but their interior D needs to lift to keep Kings to something beatable.

Perth have the firepower and top end talent to beat Sydney.

However can they get stops? Will be harder without Travers.

My feeling is Perth will be fatigued. They have been away and on the road since Boxing Day most recently did the hop down to New Plymouth. I can't see them getting the Kings here.

Sydney by 30......

....rebounds

Anytime you contest a jumpshot, it's imperative to land sideways if you’re going anywhere near where the shooter is taking off. It’s called landing space and if you invade it, it’s a foul. Some leagues are even more strict and would call a foul plus a T. Some would merit you an ejection. I go with ejecting players for that infraction.

The Webster brothers need huge games to offset the offensive load that will be on Cotton for Perth to have any chance. Without Travers and being road fatigued I can't see this being all that close.

Sydney by 15

No Aussie starting in a non nz team in the Nbl. Can't be too many games where this has happened before

Fucking joke, no foul calls on Sydney, then off the ref instead if out of bounds and another sydney basket and more free throws. Kissed on the dick as usual sydeny

The commentary seriously, Sydney has had a few lucky breaks and Perth has missed a heap of wide open shots, let's not act like Sydney is untouchable, if Balnchfield could be remotely serviceable... manek missed two wide open threes...

I'd be more concerned about how everything went to sh*t when the bench came in for Perth. Norton and Blanchfield are barely worth more than a state league player at the moment.

Rillie on a behaviour warning already. Cats bench poor.

Potentially an offensive foul?? Could the commentary be any more bias???

That would have to be the worst few minutes Norton has played this year, and that's saying something

Big call considering how bad his whole season has been

Anon you're talking like blanchfield has been serviceable this season

Cats fans just remember Blanchfield has two more years on contract and Norton one.

Perth can't get a call, cooks dribbles straight at the defence, foul...

9 all till the bench came on, it's obvious what’s wrong with Perth. Can Hooley stop licking the arse of some players and just commentate.

Stop the fight.

Simon running away from the ring, throws up some bullshit, foul. Does sydney really need more help? Surely not

Another drive, more Sydney free throws... where is Harris??? Blanchfield has to go surely

Wasn't a foul? Oh right wrong jersey

Why is that an and 1 thomas was literally standing there not even contesting!! Again does sydney need more help?

Couldn't find a call on Sydney, multiple opportunities, walton straight through norton, foul on perth, this is a fu king disgrace

Cooks destroying Manek. Why stick with single coverage?

Wildcats are the disgrace.

Cats fans just remember Blanchfield has two more years on contract and Norton one.

Perhaps Wagstaff, Norton and Blanchfield need to be persuaded to retire at season's end 'for the good of the team’!

Anon - why don't you tell your team to stop hacking up 3 point shots on every play instead of whining about the fouls.

Tasmania must be thanking their lucky stars that the wildcats matched their offer to Norton

Norton on cooks, looking good for a minute. Bring Blanchfield on to guard him, scores in half a second.

10 extra freethrows for Sydney, might be more of an entertaining game if it was called fairly. Sydney obviously better but, they are getting everything going there way. See ref assist for further evidence

Norton and Blanchfield need to become the most expensive training players in the history of the NBL next year otherwise it will be another year in the wilderness

On the upside Tai Webster looking good

Had a strong feeling the Kings would be doing it easy against Perth, but not this damn easy.

Hard to not see them in the GF series. Against NZ?

This is like watching the Harlem globetrotters. The kings already showtime in the first half. Perth standing around starstruck. Not many can stop Cooks but Manek is useless on D. His footwork is about 2 seconds slower than everyone else

Blanchfield just stepped out the way on cooks lay up just before halftime. Cats player wise are nearly in the same boat as Brisbane, sorry PW but they are woeful.

Is blocking out on a rebound a foul or are you meant to know it was a pass instead of a shot, so you can't blockout

Really Webster went further under than the offence went over? Surely that attenpt was not there, hardly a tunnel. Just imagine if the ft count was closer, as it should be...

Seriously can someone please get of Sydney's dick, walton made a shit move and got bailed out

Perth gets a call, on the floor

Miss Suarez blatant travel and 1 sydney

Wildcats are finishing in a well deserved 7th, perhaps even 8th spot.

Don't be sorry for me, feel sorry for Hutchy and co. for blowing their dough on not one but three basketball clubs in a sport they have no clue about.

I bought extra tickets for the 20th so that my guests at least get to see one good team out on the court.

Perth needs to stop standing upright amd trying to lay defence just shove people to the ground at this point, reset what a foulnos in the ref's mind cause breathing leads to kins free throws

Another missed travel, and 1 Sydney

No one fouled thomas? Sure

Jesus, 3.00 left on the clock, was that a foul on Webster? Are we calling that every time down the court???

Hunter with a Larry Bird.

Manek screams at ref, no call on cooks, hunter runs through Harris, no call. Like what do you need. Just give me a refund on my membership and give sydney the title. It's like that

Oh cooks has the ball must have got fouled

Anon, do you watch the game or just spend time on here typing bs.
Between you and jacket I don't know who spits more bs

Anon, settle down. Other than a few players Perth are woeful.

Agree PW probably miss finals.

Another shooting foil...

That was not a charge, ffs wagstaff was proud of that one. Oh did syndey get another call

Webster gets checked dribbling the ball, stumbles almost falls over throws a turnover, no questioning by the commentary, sydney hits a three the other way. Is anyone actually enjoying this or are we just buying the narrative Sydney is fucking untouchable. It's a disgrace and an embarrassment for the league, but no one will call it out cause it's happening to Perth

Thomas on the ground after the layup, no foul

Anon, you may or may not be right on the fouls, but the bigger picture is that Perth has a number of players that are not up to NBL standard. Sydney are a class above and even if the reffing was in Perth's favour, I doubt they would be competitive against this team

Oh absolutely Sydney are a class above, and are getting max out of everyone and yep Perth have big problems as there Aussies are below avg. But the way that game was officiated ruined any chance if a game, the failure if the commentary to do anything other than enjoy Perthbgetting dismantled legitimately and by the ref's is not good for the league.

Perth with no bench tonight other than Harris. With Travers back they need to go with a majority seven-man rotation then use Norton, Wagstaff and Majok for spot minutes when match-ups allow.

When Sydney get hot from outside they are very hard to stop, but Perth do find it hard to stop most teams, they are very reliant on their shooters hitting.

Perth didn't get dismantled by the refs, they don’t play D. Manek you can add to the locals that are not good. Websters, Cotton, Thomas, Harris did fine, the rest not up to it. Blanchfield has only ever played well under Gleeson, the rest of his career is average.

Players like Glover, Hunter, Noi, Bruce will probably get offers from rival clubs in the off season. Whether they can produce for other teams what they do for Sydney will be interesting but all have starter quality.

Have a look at the plus, minus of the kings bench, it remarkable. Will the kings be able to keep Cooks if he doesn't make the nba, some of the big euro clubs will be looking.

Interesting times ahead, as Lindsay Gaze said the nbl is on fire. You want to win, get a balanced roster and spend big.

There's nothing special about the way Noi, Bruce and Glover are playing. They're doing well in their roles - far from special. Totally different thing when you ask those guys to step into elevated roles in a team with fewer ducks in a row than Sydney

Sydney are stacked with so many weapons and were very impressive. Perth equally as poor. Will Mills bite the bullet and replace Manek or waste another year. Defense wins championships they figured that out 5 out of 7 years. It was in their DNA. Gleesons non negotiables were rebounding and taking care of the ball. Too many bone head turnovers now and no one can even box out and clean the glass. I miss guys like Dillon boucher and matty knight. Unsung workers doing what needs to be done for the team. Good job Danny Mills and keep recruiting more offensive players and they might finish 7th instead of 8th

Oh don't get me wrong, Perths roster is not great at all. Who was Mills bidding against when he gave Blanchfield a 3 year deal? Prettys sure the coach could do a better job of recruiting.

Anon, 18 fouls to 21. Horribly lopsided.

Seb, where were the fouls, what did they result in? 32 fta to 14, perth put just as much heat on the rim

Hunter, Glover are starting in a few rosters in the league, Noi possibly as well. Bruce is playing better than Mccaron for probably one third of the money.

Cooks ain't making the NBA.

Perth do not put nearly as much heat on the rim as Sydney. Not even close.

When you shoot 36 3PA you will never win the foul count or the free throw count.

When you remove both teams 3pa from fga it's about even, so not sure how you can argue theuvdidnt put as much heat on the rim

Dunkman, I'd definitely start Hunter in Perth, Adelaide, Tassie. He's probably the best local centre outside of Pinder and Froling, and like JLA, is ready to explode when given a bigger role. I'd pay good money for him.

Bruce is the ideal bench PG, nowhere near starting capacity in this league.

Noi will never start in the NBL pending injury.

Glover probably not because the overall perimeter talent in the NBL is amazing.

Shot chart will show mid range jumpers compared to rim hits

Manu.
I'd think cats would be happy to swap Blanchfield for Glover and yes I know Blanchfield isn’t starting but imo Glover would star there and Brisbane, Illawarra as well.

I was out so didn't get to see the last 3 quarters of the game.
Judging by the comments in here we would have won by about 20 if it hadn't been for those rotten biased refs.
Unlucky, Cats.

MVP

Anon, look at a shot chart and you'll see that not every 2pt shot is equal. The Kings shoot very few midrange 2s, and not so many 3s. Most shots we take are in or around the paint. That's why we get to the line so much. It's Morey-ball.

Dunkman, Glover is in the best half dozen Aussie 2/3s but it's a spot so commonly taken by imports. Would have to be situational. Wish he didn't leave the Hawks because he was building into a great player. For his sake I hope he doesn't stay in Sydney.

With Travers back Tai Wbbster will be the sixth man spark plug Perth needs. Nonetheless they can't have Manek shooting that badly against the likes of Sydney. He needs to be better.

The losses against teams like Bullets will likely have a much bigger impact to the cats final chances. With their run home looks like Cats will miss finals two years straight.

Hopefully this year there is a clean out of the Aussie contingent and renewed focus on quality big men / imports.