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Shawn Redhage will line up for his 350th game as the Perth Wildcats look to try and move further into the clear for a home final against the Cairns Taipans who put their season on the line once again. Join The Roar for live scores from 9:15pm (AEDT).
Veteran player, Shawn Redhage, who has been coming off the bench for the Wildcats suits up for a massive milestone game against the Taipans and you would have to think it will only help to spur his Wildcats teammates along.
With three weeks left in the season the Wildcats, who currently sit second on the NBL ladder are looking to really start building momentum towards the finals.
Even though it is nearly impossible for them to miss it, they will still be keen to lock down a home final. With a record heading into Round 17 of 15 wins and eight losses, they only sit one game ahead of the Illawarra Hawks with both teams having five games to play.
That game up on the Hawks was in fact brought about by a massive win at home in their last meeting over the Hawks. Winning by 23 points saw them go into outright second place, and only one game behind league leaders Melbourne United.
The win gives the Wildcats two games on the trot, as they start to arrest a mini form slide that saw them drop off the top of the ladder.
The Taipans, on the other hand, kept their ridiculously small finals hopes alive with a win over the New Zealand Breakers in the last minute of the match after trailing the whole way.
Cairns are in a position where they are relying on other results now to make the finals, having a pretty average sort of season. They sit behind the Adelaide 36ers and the New Zealand Breakers on the ladder in sixth position with a record of 10 wins and 13 losses.
The 36ers meanwhile, who sit in fourth have a game up their sleeve and have already won 13. What this will essentially mean for the Taipans is that even if they win all of their remaining five games, the 36ers must lose at least four from six and then it will come down to percentages. The Breakers also must lose plenty of games in the run home.
The key for the Taipans is, without a doubt, Markel Starks. The battle between him and Jermaine Beal should be one to savour.
Prediction
Perth is one of the hardest road trips in the league, no doubt about it. However, the Taipans seem to handle it better than most. If they step up their game they could compete, however, defence has been an issue and the speed, quickness and explosiveness of the Wildcats should be too much for them.
Wildcats to end the Taipans run at the finals by 12.
Join The Roar for live scores of the first match in round 17 from 9:15pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to leave your comments in the section below as the match unfolds.