DrinkWise game preview - Round 10: Perth Wildcats v Illawarra Hawks

As veteran sharpshooter Corey Webster prepares to play his first game in more than a month after recovering from an ankle issue, his younger brother Tai will miss the trip with illness.

“The way he approached it and the diligence he’s put towards the tedious exercises you have to do to give yourself the best chance of playing, he’s been relentless over the last three weeks in his recovery process,” Wildcats head coach John Rillie said about Corey.

“That gives me great excitement about where he’s at and how he’s recovering.”

The Wildcats, already enjoying the longest current winning streak of any team in the NBL, are aiming for a seventh straight victory.

But Rillie knows it will be a danger game against the new-look Hawks, under the mentorship of interim coach Justin Tatum who has a 1-1 record since taking over from Jacob Jackomas.

“They’ve obviously got a different spirit about them right now,” Rillie said.

“It’s their first home game with Tatum in the head-coaching role so there will be a nice energy in the arena.

“They’re 1-1 under the new coach and that doesn’t reflect their overall record, so you can argue they’re better.

“I think they’re still trying to figure out who they are under Tatum but they’re playing with a better purpose.

“For us, it’s how we approach the game. If we come in with that mentality thinking it’s a top couple of teams on the ladder versus the bottom, we’ll be in for a struggle.

“Our mentality, our approach has been the same whether it’s the Sydney Kings, Melbourne United, Tassie.”

Three-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton will be looking to continue his stunning run of form during the Wildcats’ winning run.

Cotton has hit 24-plus points in his last six games, including a whopping 41 in last Friday night’s win over defending champs Sydney at RAC Arena.

After a slow start to the season by his standards, the superstar import is now averaging a competition-high 21.7 points in NBL24.

Game Details

Who: Perth Wildcats vs Illawarra Hawks

When: 4.30pm WST Friday 8 December

Where: WIN Entertainment Centre

Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo or Foxtel

Opposition watch

The Hawks sit in last place on the NBL ladder but aren’t to be taken lightly under interim coach Tatum.

They fell one point short of an upset win over the Bullets in Brisbane on Sunday after prevailing 69-65 over New Zealand in Tatum’s coaching debut a week earlier.

Illawarra have a couple of former Wildcats in their squad - Todd Blanchfield and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk.

Gary Clark has been in good form, as has big man Sam Froling.

Last time they met

The Wildcats and Hawks haven’t faced off in NBL24.

The last time they met was late last season when Cotton dropped 40 points as Perth won 106-86 on the back of a dominant second half.

Corey Webster (15 points and seven rebounds) was also influential, while import Tyler Harvey had 23 for the Hawks.