Ili locked in on slowing down Perth

Sitting a bit over a week out from our Hungry Jack’s Playoff Series against the Perth Wildcats, defensive ace Shea Ili says he and his teammates are fully focussed on the upcoming clash.

Speaking on RSN927 this morning, Ili spoke about how the team is preparing for Game 1 on Thursday 27 February.

“We’ve just been battling on the floor, we’ve been training hard to get ourselves ready to play Perth,” he said.

“There’s a few fun activities mixed in, we’ve been playing cricket and will probably play some soccer today, but we’re definitely getting after it on the floor.”

After watching the Wildcats victory against the SEM Phoenix in the Play-In, Ili said the team is now locked in on what needs to be done to come out of the series with a win.

“Perth were the better team (in the Play-In) and now we’re focussed on them and Bryce (Cotton) who is a key player and has been for a while.

“We’ve just got to be able to lock in and do our job… My job is to just deny the ball but he’s so good that he still gets touches and that’s where everyone else comes into play. There are screens and cuts that happen and that’s where it’s a team game, the big boys help us out alot.

“He’s just so quick… any little mistake can cost you.”

Having limited Bryce’s output across NBL25 en route to a second consecutive Damian Martin Best Defensive Player trophy, the dynamic Kiwi said his success at that end of the floor comes from the help of his teammates and coaches.

“It’s kind of just the way I play but also the coaches put out a good scout for us to follow. It definitely isn’t just a one man job, it’s a team effort.”

The only way to make sure you’re there to see every second of the action in Game 1 is by securing your ticket today!

Tickets go on sale today from 12pm via Ticketek.com.au