Melbourne-Perth clash to find NBL top dogs

Winning the last game of the NBL regular season in Melbourne when everything is on the line is nothing new for the Perth Wildcats.

They did it two seasons ago, and went on to claim a title.

This week the Wildcats can clinch the minor premiership if victorious over defending champions Melbourne United in what shapes as a gripping finale leading into the play-offs.

Sunday's showdown at Melbourne Arena is likely to determine the top qualifying berth.

Perth's dramatic 95-86 win over Sydney in overtime on Sunday swung momentum west, pushing the Kings down to third and with no hope of clinching the minor premiership.

Melbourne's two-point win in Adelaide earlier in the day kept them well in the hunt.

If United win midweek over lowly Cairns, they'll set up the decider for top spot, with such a climactic finish welcomed by Perth coach Trevor Gleeson.

Gleeson remembers his team having to win at Melbourne Arena in their final-round game of 2017 to scrape into the play-offs.

They did so, 96-94, before sweeping aside Cairns and Illawarra in lop-sided finals series.

"You want these tough games going in because that's play-off atmosphere," Gleeson said.

Plenty will be at stake. Seven of the last 10 NBL champions had clinched the minor premiership.

And Perth are, as always, formidable on their home court, boasting a league-best record of 11-2.

Trailing by 10 at half-time against a Sydney side spearheaded by centre Andrew Bogut and guard Jerome Randle, the Wildcats clambered out of a hole on the back of the brilliance of Bryce Cotton, who had missed his first 10 shots of the game.

Reigning league MVP Cotton's game-high 27 points complemented the selfless work of captain Damian Martin, whose commitment typified why Gleeson believes Perth will be hard to crack in the play-offs.

"Randle was great, Bogut was great. We took a big hit from Sydney and were able to stand up and counter," he said.

Perth's midweek trip to Adelaide shapes as testing, with the 36ers needing victory to guarantee fourth spot.

An Adelaide loss would leave them exposed to be leapfrogged by Brisbane, if the Bullets beat the New Zealand Breakers.