If the Willetton Tigers, Wanneroo Wolves, Perth Redbacks, Cockburn Cougars and South West Slammers all want to make a push to move up the SBL ladder it will have to begin during Week 14 action with all sides doing battle with one another.

The action begins on Friday night with two important clashes featuring three teams inside the competition's top seven positions with the second-placed Perry Lakes Hawks hosting the bottom-placed Kalamunda Eastern Suns while two 9-7 teams Willetton and Wanneroo also do battle.

There are then seven games on Saturday in a massive night of basketball with Goldfields playing Geraldton, Wanneroo taking on Perth, Lakeside facing Willetton, East Perth battling Perry Lakes, Cockburn taking on South West, Stirling tackling Mandurah and Kalamunda hosting Rockingham.

Perry Lakes farewelled new Townsville Crocs NBL coach Shawn Dennis with a win last Friday night over Rockingham, but then without him lost to the Mandurah Magic on Saturday to now only be narrowly holding onto second spot with an 11-5 record.

However, the Hawks will remain confident of notching an important win on Friday at the WA Basketball Centre against a Kalamunda Eastern Suns team that is so far winless on the road in 2013.

The other Friday night game is a massive one with the seven-placed Willetton Tigers hosting the sixth-ranked Wanneroo Wolves at Willetton Basketball Stadium. The winner has the chance to shoot towards a top-four spot while the loser could struggle to remain in the top-eight.

Then on Saturday night, two country teams meet at Neils Hansen Basketball Stadium when the Goldfields Giants host the Geraldton Buccaneers. Goldfields remarkably is 1-7 at home this season and the fourth-placed Buccaneers will be hoping that poor form continues on Saturday.

Wanneroo will be backing up from its clash at Willetton on Friday to host the eight-placed Perth Redbacks on Saturday at Joondalup Basketball Stadium in another crucial game where the winner can shoot up the table, and the loser can slip down.

The top-of-the-table Lakeside Lightning suffered its second loss of the season last Saturday night away to the defending champion Cockburn Cougars, but returns home on Saturday to host a Willetton Tigers team coming off what is set to a tough encounter with Wanneroo on Friday.

Then in perhaps the match of the weekend, third-placed East Perth hosts second-placed Perry Lakes at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre. The match could not only determine who sits in second position at the end of the weekend, but also come the end of the season.

The defending champion Cockburn Cougars found some momentum last weekend for the first time this season with wins over the Redbacks and Lightning, and now hosts the South West Slammers on Saturday at Wally Hagan Stadium.

The Stirling Senators might be out of the finals race in 13th spot with a 5-12 record, but hosts the fifth-placed Mandurah Magic at Warwick Leisure Centre looking to upset Mandurah's top-four aspirations.

The bottom-placed Kalamunda hosts 12th-placed Rockingham at Ray Owen Sports Centre with the Suns a real chance of recording their fourth win of the season having previously won its three matches at home.

Article by Chris Pike