Wildcats captain Damian Martin is wary of an Adelaide 36ers fightback in Game 2 of the NBL final. Source: Paul Kane / Getty Images
SWEEPING Adelaide in the NBL's best-of-three grand final is Perth's only goal on Friday, according to the Wildcats' tenacious captain Damian Martin.
Having the safety net of a 1-0 series lead after Monday's 92-85 success at Perth Arena and the benefit of hosting a potential decider there on Sunday is of no interest to the Wildcats.
"Absolutely our mindset is to win Game Two and that's all we've talked about," Martin said.
"The last thing you want to do is give a great team like Adelaide confidence for a third game.
"We're expecting 8000 loud 36ers fans and a hostile environment.
"But I guarantee you even if we're down by 20 with just a few minutes left, we'll still be pressing and trying to get stops to win the game."
Martin said Perth was mindful of the Sixers' potential, copping a stark reminder during Game One.
"We'd built a 12-point lead late in the fourth quarter and suddenly they hit some shots, we gave up penetration and they quickly showed what they could do," he said.
The 36ers were 14 down with 7:36 left, clawed that back to seven, saw it blow back to 11 at 73-84 with 3:32 to go, then had it to 85-88 with 18 seconds left.
Two sets of free throws by Perth import Jermaine Beal bulged the final margin.
Martin said every player was primed to give his best performance but admitted the Wildcats had more to play for after twice in succession losing grand finals to New Zealand.
"If you can't get up for a grand final, there's something wrong," he said.
"But when you've been on the receiving end of a grand final loss, you never want to feel that pain again.
"It really motivates you in the off-season and through the pre-season."
Martin, a starter in Perth's 2010 championship and 2012 runner-up, was injured during last year's series, making it doubly difficult.
His absence brought Brad Robbins out of retirement, Robbins dropping out mid-season and replaced by current Adelaide 36ers combo-guard Rhys Carter.
When he ran out for the 36ers against Perth on Monday, Carter joined Cal Bruton as the only men to play against the club they played for in the grand final the previous year.
Bruton played for Brisbane against Adelaide in the 1986 grand final and for Perth against Brisbane in the 1987 championship series.
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