The Championship gap Perth must close

The Perth Wildcats believe they are one of the main contenders for the Hungry Jack's NBL26 championship.

But to prove their credentials, Perth needs to defeat fellow heavyweights Adelaide, South East Melbourne, Melbourne and Sydney.

To date, John Rillie's side is at 2-7 against those four sides, a record that the club hopes to improve this Saturday against the Phoenix.

“I don’t break down the record. I break down how have we competed against those guys,” Rillie said during the club's media availability.

“We’ve done a great job of competing against the top teams, but we haven’t had enough to get the wins and that reflects in our record. That’s where, in this particular challenge, it is about defending them at the three, and how we handle their pressure goes a long way to having success.

“In the two previous games, in the crucial parts of those games, we have not done that. In reflecting on the game here, Jordi Hunter and [Nathan] Sobey hit big threes, loud threes, against us in the second half.

“Over there (in Melbourne), when it was a really close game and, off the top of my head at 1:04, we had some careless moments on offence that they capitalised on. It’s a fickle game so those moments we have to address.”

One player that looms key in the Wildcats turning the tables on that 2-7 record is young guard Jaron Rillie.

Since returning to the lineup, Rillie has helped the Wildcats win two of their three contests, highlighted by a 13-point and 4-assist showing in their last victory over New Zealand.

In particular, it was the 24-year-old's play down the stretch that impressed most, in a tight contest with the Breakers.

“That [the final two minutes] is when everyone wants to be in the game,” Rillie said during the club's media availability.

“The rest of the game is just as important as the last two minutes. But when it comes down to it, if it’s a close game everyone wants to be in it.

“I’ve watched countless situations throughout my entire life of the last two minutes or last four minutes. At college in Northern Colorado, I was trusted to have the ball a lot in those situations in practice and games. Nothing beats reps in those situations.

“I’ve failed as many times as I’ve succeeded, if not more. Living with those failures and learning from it means as you move on and it gets to the end of the season, you know where you’ve messed up before and you don’t make the same mistake.”

Saturday's blockbuster against the in-form South East Melbourne Phoenix at the State Basketball Centre tips off at 8pm AEDT, live on ESPN.