Perth's plan to 'steal Game 1'

Sydney may have won all three matchups with the Perth Wildcats this season, but the Playoffs are a different beast.

The game slows down, and rotations tighten up, with each possession being more important than the last.

And for that reason, 1990 NBL MVP Derek Rucker believes the Wildcats, who are 11-6 on the road this season, should lean into their strengths, which is their frontcourt of Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., Kristian Doolittle and Dylan Windler.

Between the three of them, they are averaging 47.4 points a game, which is more than half the team’s total (90.8).

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“Sydney will try to pounce on them early on, putting tremendous pressure on those guys advancing the ball up the court,” Rucker said on Monday’s episode of Moments That Mattered, presented by Mitsubishi Motors.

“John Rillie is going to have to come up with a better system or structure than they had against the Southeast Melbourne Phoenix. He has ample time now to get his team ready for the Sydney Kings, who haven’t played in 19 days.

“The only issue with the Kings is, can they get their legs going? Can they get the rust out of the system from having that extended break? I don't think it will be a problem, but sometimes on the day, you just can't summon the energy right away. It takes a minute to get into the game. And I think the Kings can't afford to wait.

“All those guys must be up the court providing severe pressure on the Perth Wildcats because I think if it turns into a half court game, [it benefits Perth and that] front line that JLA (Lual-Acuil) said is the best in the league.

“If Perth were able to play in the half court with those three guys, it give them a much better chance of stealing Game 1.”

The Playoff Series opener between Sydney and Perth tips off at 7.30pm AEDT on Wednesday night, live on ESPN.