New Zealand Breakers coach Paul Henare is wary of a backlash from the wounded Wildcats when the two NBL teams clash in Perth on Saturday.
The defending champions are battling back from three consecutive home losses, and Henare is pretty sure he knows how they'll respond to that string of defeats.
"I think they'll come out, try and bully us, push and shove and get that 13,000 fanbase behind them and get some energy that way," he said on Thursday.
"Whenever Perth teams of the past have been in a lull or slump, they respond with physicality or intensity and if we are not ready for a fight, it could be a long night."
The Breakers have been boosted by the return of point guard Edgar Sosa, who trained this week without any ill effects from the ankle injury that meant he missed last weekend's 81-71 loss to the Taipans in Cairns.
"He is playing well, and he has a level of confidence right now and we need guys on the floor that can break a game open."
Henare was in no doubt that the absence of his import guard had an impact on the way his side played in Cairns, with his forward line taking time to adjust to new rotations.
"Whenever you lose someone like Sos, someone integral to the way your team plays, it changes the dynamic of what you do," Henare said.
"You play differently when you lose someone of that magnitude. There are no concerns about our bigs, they want to play better, we want more productivity out of them, and there's a good chance we will see that this weekend."
With seven games of the season still to play, Henare is not getting too caught up in any extra hype around Saturday night's clash.
"We don't look at the game that way, Perth at Perth at any time - we could both be bottom of the table and it would be a big game for us.
"For us, it is all about Perth right now, focusing on that one and win or lose, focusing on the next one after that."
The Breakers are currently third on the ladder, with Perth fourth.
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