Perth Wildcats coach Trevor Gleeson has urged his players to keep their cool when they confront a fired-up Adelaide 36ers at RAC Arena on Saturday.
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The match will mark Joey Wright's 500th NBL game as a coach, and reports have emerged that it could be his final game in charge of the 36ers despite having two more years to run on his contract.
Perth and Adelaide have a long and bitter history, with tempers reaching boiling point on Valentine's Day in 2014 after a Wildcats win.
A minor melee between players transformed into an all-in push-and-shove, with Wright in the thick of the action.
Gleeson knows emotions will probably be running high again this Saturday, and he doesn't want his team to lose their cool.
"It's just being smart. Make sure we don't run off the bench and get into a scrimmage," Gleeson said.
"It was a few years ago on Valentine's Day we had the big barny after the game.
"There's no love lost between Perth and Adelaide. It's a rich history, and we expect another one to go down in the books.
"They've got Joey's 500th. There's reports it might be his last game there. They'll be up.
"They know they can't make the playoffs, so they might be treating this like a grand final, which is great for us. It gives us a tough competition and sharpens us up for the playoffs."
Gleeson and Wright have traded barbs across both on and off the court over the years, with emotions often boiling over between the pair.
But Gleeson said they were actually good friends.
"Look, I got to know Joey before he was a coach over here. That's a fond memory, he took me in and I lived with him for close to six weeks," Gleeson said.
"We built that friendship up beforehand. We'll have a beer in the off-season, but while the game is on we're trying to beat each other.
"I think we've both got white-line fever. As soon as we're on, we want to beat each other up.
"His longevity - he's been successful wherever he's gone. Congratulations to Joey, he's a good friend of mine."
The Wildcats are almost certain to finish second regardless of Saturday's result, meaning they will face Cairns in the semi-finals.
Import Terrico White, who copped a knock to his knee in the win over Brisbane, has been ruled out of the final-round fixture.
Australian Associated Press
