The Perth Wildcats will aim to pour cold water on the hot hand of star Illawarra Hawks shooter Kevin Lisch in Thursday night's NBL clash at Perth Arena.
Lisch enters the blockbuster encounter in raging form after draining 40 points in Sunday's double-overtime win over the New Zealand Breakers.
The 29-year-old Hawks star helped lift Perth to the 2009/10 NBL Championship.
But he and former Wildcats coach Rob Beveridge will be considered enemies when they return to Perth Arena in their Hawks gear on Thursday night.
Perth and Illawarra are tied on 14 wins as the race for second spot heats up.
Wildcats captain Damian Martin and Casey Prather have been earmarked for key defensive roles to help curb the influence of Lisch.
"Lisch was our best scorer while he was here and he's taken that to another level," Martin said.
"He seems to be embracing that green light he's got (to shoot).
"And we've got Kirk Penney (to worry about) on the other wing and Oscar Forman. These guys are going to go down as the all-time greatest shooters in the NBL.
"Illawarra are one of the hottest teams in the league. So if we're going to beat them, we've got to make sure we put in one of our best performances of the season."
The Wildcats are set to be boosted by the return of star centre Matt Knight, who missed last week's win over Sydney to give his troublesome shoulder a much-needed rest.
Knight was also absent from training on Monday to be present for the birth of his child.
"So between the physical rest and now the excitement of a new born, I can see him coming out against Wollongong against some of his old friends and coach and having a blinder," Martin said.
Beveridge's Hawks are fast shaping as the team to beat for this season's title, with their explosive scoring power proving to be a potent weapon.
Martin said he was looking forward to going up against his former coach.
"Bevo and I go back 16 years. He was the reason I quit rugby league and gave basketball a try," Martin said.
"There's no better feeling that beating someone like Bevo, because he is so competitive, a close friend, and bragging rights are on the line."
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