Brisbane Bullets coach Andrej Lemanis says he was left disappointed after Perth Wildcats counterpart Trevor Gleeson accused his NBL team of using illegal tactics.
Gleeson threw a pre-finals grenade last week when he claimed the Bullets had been getting away with employing illegal screens.
Those comments have lit a fuse before the best-of-three semi-final series begins in Perth on Thursday night.
Gleeson was Lemanis's Boomers assistant at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
But Gleeson's recent comments haven't gone down well with Lemanis.
"I guess at the end of the day I was just a little bit disappointed," he said before the Bullets flew to Perth on Wednesday.
"They're a club I've really respected. They've had a lot of success over time.
"So for them to choose to go down that path, it's disappointing."
It remains to be seen whether the referees will be on high alert for any illegal screens during the semi-finals.
The Bullets suffered defeat in both of their trips to Perth this season but Lemanis said his players are keen to embrace the hostile atmosphere at RAC Arena.
"We go in with confidence. We've won in Perth before," he said.
"We've got a lot of players who have won some big games in Perth before.
"It's a great environment.
"As the away team, you can feed off the atmosphere just as well as the home team can."
Lemanis has urged his players to place extra emphasis on the rebound battle.
