Perth Wildcats swingman Greg Hire is free to play in Friday night's crucial NBL final round home clash with Sydney Kings after a striking charge against him was downgraded.
At an NBL tribunal hearing on Friday morning, Hire pleaded not guilty to intentionally striking the Cairns Taipans' Tony Mitchell during Sunday's match in Cairns.
He had been charged with intentional, medium high contact and faced a 1-2 match ban.
But tribunal chairperson Tony Nolan QC assessed the incident as careless, high contact with medium impact.
Hire received a one-game ban but it was suspended until the end of the season due to an exemplary playing record and no previous tribunal appearances.
The fifth-placed Perth Wildcats meet the sixth-placed Kings in a must-win clash, with both teams still in the running for three of four semi-final berths which are still available.
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