Who: Perth Wildcats v Adelaide 36ers When: 9.30pm (AEDT), Friday 4 December Where: Perth Arena Watch: Fox Sports (Live and in HD); Sky Sports NZ; NBL Live App Last time they met: Perth 94 (Prather 20, Beal 16, Redhage 16) d Adelaide 88 (Randle 21, Gibson 15), Round 7, Titanium Security Arena, Adelaide

NBL Round 7 Adelaide 36ers vs. Perth Wildcats Highlights #HardBall @Adelaide36ers @PerthWildcats https://t.co/W4xia4uuQ3

— NBL (@NBL) November 18, 2015

THE MATCH-UP Nathan Jawai v Daniel Johnson – The league’s strongest centre against its most nimble. Jawai’s power plays against Johnson’s unorthodox all-court game. Johnson must get his jumpshot going to offset the irrepressible power of the Boomers big man.

.@Natejawai with the one hand slam for the @PerthWildcats #HardBall https://t.co/Y51sIpgOoD — NBL (@NBL) November 18, 2015

THE STATS In the last five minutes of their two losses to the Wildcats, Adelaide had 1.6 scoring attempts per minute for nine points and two free-throw attempts. Over the other 70 minutes of those games they had two scoring attempts per minute for 145 points and 38 foul shots. In two meetings this season, Perth’s six frontcourt players have dished out 20 assists to just 10 from their 36ers counterparts. THE STORY Adelaide’s stunning victory in Cairns – only the 36ers and Breakers have triumphed there in the past two seasons – and Perth’s defeat in Auckland mean there is only 1.5 games separating these great rivals. Jerome Randle has been a sensation for Adelaide, and the Wildcats will be sweating on the availability of Damian Martin after he took a knock to his jaw on Wednesday. The Wildcats had the answers for Jerome late in their last meeting in Adelaide, however, holding the livewire to two points on 1-of-6 shooting in the final term. In fact, in the fourth quarter of the 36ers last three losses, Randle has scored a total of 12 points on 4-of-20 shooting. “If we can get everyone (defensively) looking at him and play off that it could be a good recipe for us,” coach Joey Wright said. That formula was certainly successful in Cairns last week, the 36ers finding the balance between team offence and Randle’s individual brilliance, thanks in no small part to Adam Gibson’s leadership. “We defended really well and we were patient at the other end and got the ball to the areas we needed to,” Wright said. “I thought Gibbo did a great job of running things.”

.@Sobes20 with the steal and the slam for the @Adelaide36ers. Get up young fella! #HardBall https://t.co/NhALQ3W8Cg

— NBL (@NBL) November 18, 2015

Adelaide must generate pace from their defence to avoid a half-court grind, and that means proactive help-and-recover to stop penetration from Jermaine Beal and Casey Prather, or Jawai and Matt Knight in the post, without leaving Perth’s perimeter crew wide open. Wright swung Anthony Petrie onto Jawai in the second half of the Round 7 clash and the grizzly veteran performed solidly on his much bigger opponent, reducing the 36ers need to double-team early. Expect to see some more of that match-up. At the other end, Johnson’s perimeter touch, ability to put the ball on the floor and speed in transition should trouble Jawai, but in two matches against Perth he’s managed just 10 field goals at 40 per cent and got to the foul line only six times. DJ’s job will be made harder again this Friday, Perth coach Trevor Gleeson calling his players out after they almost conceded a ton to New Zealand. “Our defence was pretty bad. You’re not going to win in this league if you allow 99 points, it’s quite simple,” he said. “We’ve been hanging our hat on defence for the last few years and you’re not going to get it done if you can’t defend. So we’ve got some work to do on that part of our game.” THE WRAP The 36ers have been a different defensive beast in recent weeks, but Perth are as good as any team at reading what the defence gives them. Against world-class talent and size inside, the 36ers will have to scramble hard to avoid being exploited on switches by Jawai, Knight and Tom Jervis, who can all finish and find the open man.

Prather slams it down #HardBall @NZBreakers @PerthWildcats https://t.co/OOF4lAqPC7 — NBL (@NBL) December 2, 2015

Offensively, Adelaide need to keep the ball moving to exploit the speed of Randle, Johnson, Walker and Creek, because playing slow-down hoops against Perth has only resulted in contested jumpshots so far this season, and allows the Wildcats to control the boards and flow into offence.