Harris' Finals debut a long time coming

Perth’s Hyrum Harris has taken the long road to the NBL Finals, but ahead of the New Zealand international’s first post-season game, he has his eyes on the bigger prize.

Harris crossed to Perth ahead of NBL24, after starting his career with solitary seasons in Illawarra and Cairns, and two seasons in Adelaide.

The 27-year-old has become a key part of Perth’s rotation this season, and his injection into the starting lineup helped provide the turning point for the Wildcats’ season earlier in the campaign.

He says he’s not focusing on the fact Friday night’s clash with Tasmania will be the first NBL Finals game of his career.

“What is this, my fifth year I think? It’s a pretty good achievement, but we just have to worry about the first game. I can worry about that stuff later,” Harris said.

“Everyone wants to get to the last game of the season, but we’ve got to worry about this game first.

“It’s an achievement, but it’s not the one I want. I want to be in that last game and win that last game, that’s the most important one. We’ll get through Game 1 first.”

The Wildcats have had almost three weeks between games ahead of this Playoff Series, while the JackJumpers had to earn their way to a clash with Perth through their Seeding Qualifier win over Illawarra.

Whereas this clash will be Harris’ first post-season game in his NBL career, the Wildcats can call upon some of the most experienced and decorated players in the history of the competition to help guide their side past the JackJumpers.

Jesse Wagstaff has played the most post-season games of any active player in the NBL and is tied for the most championships in league history. Corey Webster played in three titles in five years with the Breakers in the early 2010s, and Bryce Cotton is cementing his legacy as one of the greatest imports in the history of the competition.

“Our leaders do a good job of sharing their voice and sharing their opinions, and they always lean back on how they’ve won championships and how they’ve gone through roller-coasters in their previous seasons,” Harris said.

“You look at guys like Corey, ‘Wags’, ‘BC’ – those older guys – who have a lot of experience under their belts, they share what they’ve been through on film and on court and just by voicing their opinions here and there.

“It’s been really good to see those guys share their success and how they were so successful in those teams.”

Perth’s Playoff clash against Tasmania will tip off at 9:30pm AEDT on Friday night, live on ESPN via Kayo.