THE SECOND match of Thursday night’s double-header in the National Basketball League (NBL) will see the Perth Wildcats welcome the SEM Phoenix to Western Australia as the two teams go head to head at RAC Arena.

Both sides have been among the contenders throughout the first 12 rounds of the 2025/26 season, and have emerged as dark horses to take out the championship, despite some other teams boasting more star power.

Both teams sustained disappointing losses during the most recent round, so there are still areas of improvement for each, but tonight’s encounter could be a preview of a postseason matchup in the coming months if they can each continue on their trajectory.

Perth Wildcats vs. South East Melbourne Phoenix

RAC Arena
Thursday, December 18 @ 9:30pm

The Wildcats will be seeking redemption when they host the Phoenix at RAC Arena tonight, given the poor performance produced the last time Perth played in the venue. The Sydney Kings were able to record their biggest win at the stadium on Friday night, in what was a disappointing result for the team from Western Australia.

Perth did manage to bounce back against a struggling Brisbane Bullets in Queensland a few days later, but will be eager to make amends in front of the Red Army tonight. Playing the Wildcats at RAC Arena has been long renowned as one of the toughest road trips in the NBL, and Perth will be eager to restore that reputation.

The Wildcats will be hopeful that Kristian Doolittle can break his current streak of slow starts to matches, which has hindered the team’s performance in opening minutes given his potential. Over the last two games, Doolittle has been held scoreless in the first quarter, so if he can get himself going early, it will boost Perth’s chances.

The Phoenix broke even from their two matches last round – much like their hosts tonight – and will be quietly confident in their ability to get the job done on the road. South East Melbourne has built a strong defensive identity and it has proven to work against the very best teams in the NBL, so the visitors will want to keep that trend rolling.

The Phoenix do rely heavily on the scoring output of Nathan Sobey on the offensive end, and while it has been a winning formula thus far, they may need to switch things up tonight. Sobey will likely deal with the defensive attention of David Duke Jr. tonight, who has been assigned as Perth’s stopper, so the more contributors, the better for the visiting side.

It will be a big matchup for John Brown III tonight, who will likely be tasked with slowing down Doolittle, who has put together a strong campaign with the Wildcats thus far. If the Phoenix’s defensive specialist can get the better of that battle and keep Doolittle quiet, it could be a staple performance that sets up South East Melbourne’s win.