Being swept by the Hawks this season will pretty much prove there is no actual effective plan B for the Cats offensively - though last game showed promise with so many in double figures.

Hoping that when the obvious happens and Cotton gets locked down they don't try to run 10 more unsuccessful plays through him, get stuck in a 20 point hole and only then decide its time to try something else.

Cats by single digits!

I think cats can get this if all are on board. They just have a better roster. Usher who was totally average has been very good lately and will take pressure off Cotton. This could be decided in the five spot, if Pinder and Sarr play their best they should be to good for Froling and Peatling. Hawks have got big advantage in the four spot with Clark but nowhere else. Cats by 12.

How will the Cats play their final 2 games on the road? Surely they can rest a player or 2 over this round?

I predict Okwera, Henshall, M. Harris, Zunic, Russo-Nance & Andrew will be rested just for something different!

I predict Okwera, Henshall, M. Harris, Zunic, Russo-Nance & Andrew will be rested just for something different!

This game will reveal how serious a contender the Hawks really are.

Haha I reckon you're not far off the mark, Drexler.

Given the very large break before the playoffs begin for Perth, there's not a lot of reason for them to do much in terms of resting players.

I'd guess they'll be pretty keen to win this one and will treat it basically like any other game 1 of a Thursday-Saturday road double.

It would be nice to see some load management for Cotton & Wagstaff but I'm not expecting to.

Is there anything to play for, or not? I thought looking at it that a 2-0 Perth weekend and an 0-2 Melbourne weekend would see them swap spots?

It's possible but would require United to lose by a decent cumulative margin and Perth to win by plenty.

There would need to be an overall swing of approx 70 points

So Perth wins by 30 and 15, and United loses by 15 and 10. Or something.

Not gonna happen

If Melbourne lost both games by 20 and Perth won both games by 20 Perth would move to top spot by 0.34% (105.44 - 105.10). Throw your hard earned on that multi

Well, United hasn't lost back-to-back games all season, so that would be throwing away your hard earned.

If it wasn't obvious I was being facetious

I thought Perth had the higher percentage, I must have misread it. Or the ladder I saw had them backwards, which with the NBL is always possible.

Early days but Cotton and cats have worked it out.

Ushers improved so much since seasons start.

FFS commentators. Is Cotton the only player on the court

FFS Cats. Are the Hawks the only rebounders on the court?

Usher shot 35 in his first game.

Perth got stop the O boards, Sarr positioning around the basket is horrible, got box instead just swatting your arms around.

35 yes and then went shit, his team work and defensive improvement is immense..

Why are the Hawks still wearing those shit awful DC jerseys. Are they seen to be the 'lucky' set? Looks amateur.

It's a burning question right now.

Did they have a laundry mishap?

Cotton didn't touch the ball for about 5 minutes of that second quarter - Tai Webster been so poor imo.

Gary Clark *always* gives excellent interviews.

Neither side are winning anything playing D like they are. Sarr and Pinder should play some minutes together, the four spot looks weak for cats. Clark is keeping hawks in control plus there ability to crash the boards.

Feels like our hearts are just not quite in this one.
Maybe if it's still close in the 4th the competitive instincts will take over.

Cotton is clearly fired up yet no one wants to go with him. Tai and Doolittle look so flat.

Don't understand why Pinder played 6 mins in the whole first half, though he does have 2 fouls i guess

Ben clubs can request which uniform they wear. They are winning, they'll keep wearing them.

You won't win a championship with Tai Webster.

That's no fun, I'm going to go with Big Joe using the wrong cycle or detergent.

Tai Webster wants to talk shit yet he's playing his worst game of the season

Pinder gets a foul for reaching around on a bad post entry pass, but Frolinng can moving blind injure a player on a screen and it's not a foul.... Ben 10 as well, on the rim, very minimal contact but look at how he fell its dangerous its a foul, no call. this league and its ref's, no idea

Six scouts in the stadium, I'm not certain they would to impressed by Sarr produced today. Commentary is horrible, why are current players on commentary.

Hahaha Anon learn the rules , no foul on Froling

Mastercoach JR: "we don't need to work on our weaknesses"

At 3 QTR time:
Hawks 46 rebounds
Wildcats 23 rebounds

Can see Webster come over the back for the lose ball, can't see wagstaff get crushed right before....

Doolittle injury doesn't look good for cats fans. On this performance neither side can win the championship.

Was Feoling stationary? Pretty sure this league tried to suspend wagstaff for a hit that wasn't anywhere near as blind

You won't win a championship with Tai Webster.

But Pinder " stepped across and dropped his shoulder" on his illegal screen. Must have hit the opponent so hard,that's why they are off in a sling..

Wildcats can't beat Hawks in the playoffs.

Injuries. They simply shouldn't have played. Very poor

If hawks beat JJ's in the play in, we could see JJ’s v Illawarra in the GF with both lower teams having the wood over the higher team

Justin Robinson is a grub

How the fuck was that a foul on Harris? Clark kicks his legs out Nd nothing. And people say Perth gets calls. Wow

Masterclass in incompetent coaching

1. Run Cotton to the ground
2. Get Doolittle injured
3. Rebounds are overrated
4. No matter what, shoot a 3

Pinder and Webster are grubs

Wild Kyle wasting NO time

Froling and Pinder should not be selected as Boomers.

They have no advantage whatsoever in FIBA Ball.
Players who must only play in the league

Blow out and Pinder drops an elbow I Olbrich. There is the sign the ref's have lost the game. Commentary no balls to call it, it's frustration because the ref's have called the game one way, and it's cost perth injuries

The ability to adapt and switch tactics during a game is essential. This seems to be beyond Rillies comprehension at times. Same old same old isnt working ahginst this team at all learn that if you're going to learn anything!

Man this playoffs race is insane!

If only there was something like an app where I could input all my predicted results for the round which would then return final standings based on my predictions!

Ben there is. It's called the ladder predictor

Pinder, one rebound, 10 points of which 6 were from the three point line, not good certainly for a five man.I was very confident that Perth could go close to winning the championship, take a miracle now.

Tatum is a wizard and his assistants obviously scout very well. Clark is in the top few imports in the league. Congratulations hawks.

Whats wrong with Cotton?

Hawks will keep 4th, almost certainly

Unless they lose AND NZ wins both AND makes up a 26 point gap

Eg Illawarra loses by 15, NZ wins by combined 11.

SARR not worth 2bob

Anon should apply to be the Europcar spokesman hahaha

Masterclass in incompetent coaching

1. Run Cotton to the ground
2. Get Doolittle injured
3. Rebounds are overrated
4. No matter what, shoot a 3

Yeah cause JR personally hurt Doolittle's shoulder did he?

Every single timeout the sideline commentators reported that all JR was saying was "REBOUND".

Cotton is nowhere near being "run into the ground"

And Perth shot the same amount of threes as Illawarra.

Couple donuts in here.

This result has clarified a lot.

Hawks will keep 4th unless they lose to United AND NZ wins both games AND NZ makes up a ~26 point gap. If that happens NZ finishes 4th and Hawks finish 5th.

Sydney must beat SEM. If they win, they *likely* make the play-in, if they lose they're out unless NZ loses both.

If NZ wins both they will finish 5th. Unless they make up the 26 point gap on Hawks, combined with Hawks losing and NZ finishes 4th.

NZ could be tied on W/L with Sydney IF they both finish on 12 wins (both lose their games) OR more likely, both finish on 13 wins- NZ wins 1 of 2, and Sydney wins vs SEM. Then it'll come down to percentage. Their percentage is very close.

There's so many possibilities. It's great.

Watching the press conferences, the hawks come across as very humble and the cats not quite so.

Rillie & Harris took accountability on behalf of the team for the loss in the presser. Repeatedly deflecting the same ad-nauseum pointless hypotheticals from reporters would certainly get tedious by round 20, got no problem when they do that!

If they are fed up answering tedious questions, send someone there who is not. Every coach and player is in the same boat, it's part of being a professional sports person. It just looked like arrogance. Each to their own though.

Well in good news for Cats fans Doolittle is good to play tomorrow night.

Perth Wildcats lose to Illawarra Hawks as N-word appears to be directed towards Tai Webster in the NBL

The NBL will wait to see if the Perth Wildcats lodge a complaint about a racial slur which seemed to be directed towards star Tai Webster during their 108-92 loss to the Illawarra Hawks on Thursday before deciding what to do next as the club holds its breath over a shoulder injury to import Kristian Doolittle.

The television broadcast clearly picked up someone saying "go sit down n—" after Webster fouled out of the game with just under seven minutes remaining at the WIN Entertainment Centre. A replay of the foul was being shown on TV at the time of the comment which could have been picked up by multiple microphones. Webster is from New Zealand.