Tip-off: Friday, February 10, 7.30pm (local), Sydney Entertainment Centre

TV: ONE 10.30pm (check local guides)

Last time they met: Sydney 102 (Grant 23, Bruce 21, Khazzouh 14) d Gold Coast 96 (Worthington 18, Gibson 15, DeLeon 14), Round 14, 2011/12, Sydney Entertainment Centre

A bad dream?
Gold Coast return to Sydney for the second time this season, but they’d rather pretend it was the first.

In Round 14, Sydney humbled the Blaze 102-96, sparking a week of “boot camp” as coach Joey Wright tested his troops’ mettle.

“I don’t like to think about that game because life got pretty tough for us after that,” forward Anthony Petrie laughed.

Petrie said the change that has sparked their four-game winning streak happened on the practice court.

“At training it’s so hard just to get open on the wing or on the block, it’s gone up another level. It’s what Joey’s been preaching since the start of the year and I don’t know why it’s taken this long to click.”

Wright also had some choice words for Petrie about his lack of effort on the defensive end.

“There was a week on the video session where I had a couple of breakdowns,” he said.

“Joey made me aware in no uncertain terms that I had to be a leader on our team on defence.

“I love shutting people down and making it hard for them. If my defence is there the rest of my game follows along.”

Big men collide
Sydney are 0-3 since Aaron Bruce’s season-ending injury, and if Petrie can lead the shutdown of their tough forward pack the Blaze will be on their way to another W.

“Any night you’re guarding Julian Khazzouh is going to be tough, (Jerai) Grant’s an offensive machine and has really improved over the year and then you’ve got Graeme (Dann) who’s very versatile,” Petrie said.

Khazzouh broke his form slump last week with 20 points. Petrie is expected to get first crack at the Kings centre, but doesn’t have a magic formula to stop his former teammate.

“I don’t think too many people have figured it out to be honest. It’s so hard with someone like Jules because most people his height don’t have great touch like he does,” he said.

“You want to get into big guys and push them away from the ring, but with Jules it doesn’t matter, everything he puts up is so soft it usually drops in.”

Second year cruise
Petrie expects Dann’s ball-handling to be a key factor in breaking the Blaze’s press as the Kings guards look for relief from Adam Gibson and Co.

“Graeme is one of those guys who’s got it all,” he said. “He’s got a fantastic handle and he is so strong on the ball too.”

Another who will need to bring his handle is shooting guard Ben Madgen, who has slipped under the radar after enduring a rough start to the year.

The 25-year-old has averaged 13 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.4 turnovers and shot 43 per cent from long rangein his past 14 games – all big improvements on his rookie season.

The wrap
After watching their heartbreaking losses to Townsville and Perth, Petrie said the Blaze understand their best basketball is needed to beat “a very talented team”.

If Sydney can cope with Gold Coast’s defensive pressure – which has forced 37 turnovers the past two weeks – and feed the ball to Khazzouh and Grant they stand a good chance.

Grant amassed 23 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in Round 14, embarrassing Boomer Mark Worthington in the process.

Wortho has been in superb form since, so expect him to rise to the challenge and lead another ferocious fullcourt Blaze assault that will test Sydney to the limit.

Prediction: Blaze by 12