A red-hot Nick Kay will take a career-best run of five consecutive games of at least 20 points into Perth's final-series opener against the Taipans in Perth on Friday night.
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The Tamworth-raised forward - this season named in a second-straight All-NBL First Team - will be key to the Wildcats' bid to win back-to-back championships.
Game two of the matchup will be in Cairns on Sunday, with a grand final showdown against either the Sydney Kings or Melbourne United awaiting the victor.
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In his second season in Perth, Kay has added more potent shooting to his repertoire - making an incredible 46 per cent of his long-range shots.
In 2019-20, he has averaged 15.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game - while upping his blocked shots from seven a game last season to 19 this season.
"You try to get better every year, whether people think that or not," he said recently. "I'm trying to get better, and I'll keep working and hopefully rewards come with it."
The showdown between the Wildcats and the Taipans will see the NBL's top-two players from the regular season go head-to-head.
Perth's Bryce Cotton took out his second NBL MVP this season, with the Taipans Scott Machado runner-up.
The Wildcat was outstanding throughout the season, with 22.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game - his best number since entering the NBL three seasons ago.
He also led the NBL in steals per game, becoming the first player in league history to lead the competition in both points and steals.
Meanwhile, Machado set his own record in 2019-20. The import dished out 220 assists in the regular season, more than anybody in the NBL's 40-minute era. He also averaged 16.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.
