The grand final mind games have begun between the Perth Wildcats and NZ Breakers, but both teams know the real battle will be won and lost on the physical front.
Rival coaches Trevor Gleeson and Dean Vickerman came face to face for a joint press conference on Tuesday, and it didn't take long for the Wildcats mentor to remind everyone about the Breakers' troubles with the whistle this season.
"We know it's going to be a physical contest. NZ are the No.1 team in the league for fouling," Gleeson said ahead of the series opener at Perth Arena on Wednesday night.
"We're not going to take a backward step."
Vickerman used his right of reply to send out a not-too-subtle plea to the umpires to let the game flow.
"We're not trying to be the most fouling team in the league," Vickerman said.
"It's a great rivalry. The two teams are going to go at it.
"Hopefully the referees allow that contest to be a great battle.
"The body contact is something fans want to see, our teams want to see.
"As long as we're doing it within the rules, it will be a great contest."
Wildcats skipper Damian Martin and his Breakers counterpart Mika Vukona were quick to joke about the reputations when asked to cuddle closer together for their own joint media conference.
"There'll be a bit of that tomorrow night," Vukona joked, before Martin added with a laugh: "They're fouling already."
The Wildcats and Breakers possess a rich recent history against each other, with Perth often on the losing side when it matters most.
NZ have won four of the past five NBL titles, with two of those coming against the Wildcats.
The Breakers also knocked off the Wildcats in the 2010/11 semi-final series.
The Breakers are riding a wave of confidence following a seven-match winning streak, which included a 2-0 rout of Melbourne United in the semi-finals.
Perth are battle hardened following their 2-1 win over Illawarra, but centre Nate Jawai is nursing a back injury.
Vickerman will step down as coach of the Breakers after the grand final series, and Breakers captain Mika Vukona wants to send him out with a bang.
Martin's battle against in-form Breakers sharpshooter Cedric Jackson looms as a crucial battle, while the Wildcats will also need to find a way to halt the influence of Corey Webster.
"It seems like in the finals, he goes to another level," Martin said of Jackson.
"He's already won a couple of grand final MVPs, so hopefully we can prevent that this time around.
"I'll have a hell of night chasing him around."
Perth also possess classy match-winners in the form of imports Jermaine Beal and Casey Prather.
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