Home games now must-win for sliding Wildcats

After four losses in a row, the Perth Wildcats are searching for answers.

They spent the early part of the season in the upper echelons of the NBL standings, but John Rillie’s team is now languishing in seventh.

Next up are the second-placed JackJumpers, in the Wildcats’ 10th home game out of their first 12. They simply need to make their home games count.

One positive for Perth is the potential return of former NBA star Brandon Knight.

“Very positive … he practised today,” Rillie said on 9 News Perth on Tuesday.

“As long as he pulls up well tomorrow, all signs are very good for Thursday night.”

The 34-year-old is averaging 15.8 points, 3.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game since joining the Wildcats, but has missed the past two games with hamstring soreness.

Perth’s latest loss came against Cairns, where turnovers proved costly. Rillie admitted his side hasn’t been able to sustain its best basketball for long enough.

“We just gotta be better for longer stretches in the game,” he said.

“It’s not gonna be a perfect game for 40 minutes, but we’re just not at the level for an extended period of time to get the result we need at the end of the night.”

Rillie said the mood around the group remained upbeat.

“Our group had a great spirit about practice today. Good film session leading into that,” he said.

After Thursday’s clash with Tasmania, Perth takes on the Illawarra Hawks on Saturday. The Wildcats then hit the road for three straight away games against Cairns, Brisbane and Sydney.