Excitement to return as normal fixtures resume

Perth Wildcats coach Trevor Gleeson is expecting the excitement at NBL games to escalate with the return to home and away fixtures.

The Wildcats take on the Cairns Taipans at RAC Arena on Friday night, in their first home game since January.

He said the team is looking forward to it.

“The games we were playing in Melbourne were pretty empty, so I really can’t wait to play at RAC Arena in front of our Red Army, and hopefully we can give them something to cheer about,” said Gleeson.

“We haven’t played at home for a long, long time, so really looking forward to it, getting in that environment again.

“Playing in Perth is a huge advantage throughout the League, it also gets the other team going as well, so it’s a good environment to play, and we haven’t really played in that while in Melbourne – except when we played at the Phoenix out at the State Basketball Centre.”

The Wildcats have returned from the NBL Cup with a new trophy and a head of steam after winning seven of their last eight, including a stunning comeback win in their final contest.

Gleeson said it’s all about maintaining momentum, and that Cairns are a formidable opponent despite their ladder position.

“They’re super talented, anyone with Macahdo and Oliver in the team. They really can shoot the ball well. It’s going to test our defence again, and hopefully it will stand up against them,” he said.

“I know what they’re capable of, we saw that last year, with how talented their imports and role players are.

“We’re worried about ourselves, making sure we’re playing at a high level and playing the right way and normally when you play the right way, good things happen.”

Last time the two teams met, Perth defeated Cairns by 20 points at John Cain Arena in Melbourne.

69 points was the Taipans equal biggest loss of the season and their lowest score.

The Wildcats kept them to a season low 21.9% from the three-point line (7-from-32).

Tip-off on Friday is at 6.30pm, with remaining tickets available here.

Watch live on ESPN and SBS On Demand.