Wildcats aware of “dangerous” Phoenix

Perth Wildcats’ forward Hyrum Harris has revealed his side are aware of South East Melbourne Phoenix’s “dangerous” desperation ahead of Saturday night's clash.

The Wildcats will host the hungry Phoenix on Saturday night, with South East Melbourne looking to fight back into the top six and regaining stars Alan Williams and Abdel Nader for the contest. 

“We’re in a good spot but we’re trying not to be too complacent. We’ve won three out of our last four, but Phoenix are looking to fight for their spot in the play-offs, and those are dangerous teams to play,” Harris said.

The Wildcats are back home at RAC Arena for the open-air game, after a lengthy road trip saw them come out the other side successful with a 12-7 record and second place on the ladder.

Harris assured the Wildcats will be looking to stay in form on their rebounding, as they face the Phoenix’s power duo rebounders, Mitch Creek and Williams.

“They’re going to be a dangerous team regardless of where they are on the table. One thing they do really well and something we need to work on is our rebounding, so it’s a great challenge for us,” he said.

“We’re focusing on us and what we can control.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Open-air ready! ?<br><br>Hyrum Harris spoke to the media about the upcoming matchup with SEM. <br><br>Watch the full presser: <a href="https://t.co/UAI0P1tAab">https://t.co/UAI0P1tAab</a> <a href="https://t.co/5lrZQRBGLQ">pic.twitter.com/5lrZQRBGLQ</a></p>&mdash; Perth Wildcats (@PerthWildcats) <a href="https://twitter.com/PerthWildcats/status/1745301163636146413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Wildcats are remaining humble at second place, and Most Improved Player candidate Harris has urged they are aware of the challenge ahead of them.

“We do have a bit of momentum behind us, but it’s also a good challenge to not be so complacent against a really good team,” he said.

The roof will be open at RAC Arena, with Harris excited for the electric atmosphere.

“Warming up and afterwards, you see the photos and you watch the film and it’s an awesome atmosphere to be a part of. Any chance you get to be a part of something like that is going to be special all the time,” Harris said.

“Looking forward to it but we have to focus on the game first and foremost.”

The Wildcats host the Phoenix on Saturday at 8:00pm AEDT, live on ESPN via Kayo.