THE THIRD round of the 2025/26 National Basketball League (NBL) season has arrived, and although much of the weekend’s attention will be surrounding the NBA exhibition games in Melbourne, there are still some massive clashes on the cards.

One of the biggest being tonight’s battle between the Perth Wildcats and the Illawarra Hawks at RAC Arena, as the reigning champions look to record their first win of the season after suffering a loss in Round 2.

With both teams expected to be key pieces in the finals race later in the season, tonight’s matchup could be crucial as the two sides got off to a slower start than expected, and in such an even landscape, a win may be vital.

Perth Wildcats vs. Illawarra Hawks

RAC Arena
Thursday, October 2 @ 9:30pm AEST

The Wildcats finally got on the board last weekend in a see-sawing encounter against the New Zealand Breakers across the ditch. In that clash, the Wildcats controlled the contest for most of the match, and overcame a late charge from the Breakers to score the last 17 points of the game and put themselves back on the winners list.

Now, they face a big task in matching up against the Hawks, and although the reigning champions do not have a win to their name, are still as tough of a task as anyone in the NBL. Containing Illawarra’s frontcourt players will be a crucial key to victory, so Jo Lual-Acuil will be integral to the Wildcats’ success.

In terms of their own players, the Wildcats will be optimistic that they can get a game-breaking performance from import guard Mason Jones. The former G-League Finals MVP showed just what he was capable of with a massive outing in the preseason, but has not been able to reach those heights over the first two rounds, and if he can, it will go a long way towards Perth successfully defending home court.

The Hawks kicked off their 2025/26 NBL campaign last weekend, but sustained a tough loss at the hands of the Tasmania JackJumpers at WIN Entertainment Centre, meaning Illawarra will be eager to get the job done, albeit in enemy territory tonight.

One of the biggest keys to success for the Hawks tonight will be maintaining the chemistry that was on display between off-season recruits Jaquori McLaughlin and JaVale McGee despite the tough result last weekend.

McGee was able to deliver the best debut in NBL history with 32 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in the loss to the JackJumpers, proving absolutely dominant in the paint and producing one of the most memorable performances of the modern era, showing why the three-time NBA champion was such a big recruit.

He was able to work well in tandem with McLaughlin, who ran the point guard strongly and was able to set McGee up with lobs and excellent passes into the paint. If the pair can be just as damaging tonight, it will put plenty of pressure on the Wildcats’ frontcourt to defend the paint at all times.

Also taking place tonight is a clash between the Cairns Taipans and the Adelaide 36ers, with both sides in good form of late. The most exciting aspect of this clash will be the battle between two of the NBL’s biggest offseason recruits in Jack McVeigh and Bryce Cotton, both of whom will be vital to their team’s chances of winning.