Red hot Redbacks and Eagles face crucial battle (Round 19 MSBL Preview)
Two of the hottest teams in the men's State Basketball League will be battling for positions within the top eight when Perth Redbacks host Australian Central East Perth Eagles on Saturday.
The Redbacks and Eagles both guaranteed their place in the finals last weekend and will be looking to continue their impressive form and avoid a potential quarter-final match-up against top two sides Lakeside Lightning or Wanneroo Wolves.
East Perth could finish anywhere between fourth and eighth and will look to Perth Wildcats guard Drew Williamson to lead it to victory, while the seventh-placed Redbacks could finish as high as fifth if fellow NBL star Jesse Wagstaff can help extend their winning streak to six games.
The Eagles also meet defending champions Southlands Boulevarde Willetton Tigers, who will finish fifth if they end East Perth's three-game winning streak.
Total Connections Perry Lakes Hawks will be looking to guarantee a top four spot by beating the struggling Mandurah Magic.
The Hawks would fall out of the top four and miss out on home-court advantage in the quarter-finals if they lose and East Perth wins both its games, but will start as heavy favourites.
Third-placed Cockburn Cougars also meet Mandurah and will be looking to continue their resurgent form, which has seen them win their past three games.
Wanneroo, which is guaranteed to finish second, faces a tough test against an ATD Stirling Senators side which will be desperate to avoid a quarter-finals series against dominant Lakeside.
The Senators sit eighth and will have to meet the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs unless they can cause an upset or East Perth loses both its games.
Lakeside will be hoping to maintain its incredible run with victory against the winless Southwest Slammers.
The Lightning have won 15-straight games to secure their best ever win-loss record and should be far too good for the Slammers, who have won just one of their past 63 games.
Elsewhere, SKILLED Goldfields Giants wrap up a disappointing season when they host fellow strugglers Rockingham Flames on Saturday, while Sun City Plumbing Geraldton Buccaneers meet the 10th-placed Kalamunda Eastern Suns.
Article by Jacob Kagi
Photo by Marg Prior
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