WEDNESDAY night in the National Basketball League (NBL) Ignite Cup will see the SEM Phoenix travel west to take on the Perth Wildcats in a battle between two of the contending sides over the final few weeks of the fixture.

The Wildcats and Phoenix will face off at RAC Arena on Wednesday night, and with both sides competing for position on the ladder, it could be a decisive clash within the context of the season. There are just four rounds remaining until the play-in, so big matchups could shape how the top six looks come season’s end.

Both sides have had their ups and downs over recent weeks, and sit within two wins of where they would like to be heading into the finals, so whichever team can take home the chocolates could move up the standings in the next two rounds.

Perth Wildcats vs. South East Melbourne Phoenix

Wednesday, January 28 @ 9:30pm AEDT
RAC Arena

The Wildcats came devastatingly close to claiming an impressive win over Melbourne United on Sunday afternoon, before a Milton Doyle three-pointer in the final 30 seconds of the match proved the difference as Perth went down by a single point in a result the team from out west will feel they let slip from their grasp.

The drama escalated after the final buzzer as well, with stars Kristian Doolittle and Jo Lual-Acuil having a fiery encounter following the close loss, with plenty of words exchanged between two of Perth’s most important players. It seems to have been smoothed over since, and can be chalked down to two competitors expressing their frustration with the disappointing loss.

Prior to that loss, the Wildcats were coming off a big win over the Cairns Taipans, with guard Elijah Pepper leading the way with his best scoring performance of the season. He has shown his potential on the offensive end at NBL1 level, where his ceiling was fully on display with a 59-point performance for the Warwick Senators, and if he can deliver 20-plus points per game for the remainder of the season, it elevates Perth in a big way.

The Phoenix are well-placed heading into the final weeks of the season, sitting within one win of top spot on the ladder and cementing themselves as one of the biggest contenders to the championship after what has been a terrific campaign. South East Melbourne has proven one of the most difficult teams to contain, and will be eager to keep their high-scoring ways rolling at RAC Arena.

However, they will need to be mindful that the last time these two teams locked horns, it was the Wildcats who took home the chocolates at State Basketball Centre back in Round 16. The Phoenix were leaky on the defensive end, allowing Perth to drop 108 points in enemy territory and will be looking to be more restrictive, particularly on the starting lineup front.

For most of the season, South East Melbourne has needed to rely on Nathan Sobey for offensive production, and although the veteran guard has enjoyed a career-best campaign to date, it was a risky strategy. However, the addition of NBA and NBL champion Ian Clark has been a game-changer, adding another 20-point scorer to an already potent offence, and the star wing will be one to watch out west tonight.