Ballarat Hotondo Homes Miners head coach Brendan Joyce has channeled his inner Muhammad Ali ahead of the NBL1 qualifying final, saying the Miners will "come out punching".
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The Kilsyth Cobras will be the intended bag for Saturday's qualifying final at the Mars Minerdome.
A win would see Ballarat advance to the semi-final, and with it, a chance to play-off for a grand-final birth.
It's an exciting prospect for Joyce who admitted the top-seeded Hotondo Homes Miners have been "on the ropes" following two losses with a depleted roster to finish the regular season.
WATCH THE COURIER'S NBL1 FINALS PREVIEW WITH BALLARAT RUSH PLAYERS GEORGIA AMOORE AND JOY BURKE BELOW:
With his side again healthy, he said he expected a physical encounter against a talented Cobras outfit eager to take the next step.
"When you get to the finals they are usually tough games, and nobody usually breaks away unless something goes drastically wrong," he said.
"From our point of view we are focused on what we can control and how we want to defend and execute."
Joyce said Kilsyth bore a lot of similarities to the Miners and had up to four or five players who could step-up on any given night. He expected the Cobras to employ a number of defensive ploys in an attempt to disrupt the Miners and take them out of rhythm. Ultimately, he said the game would come down to simple execution.
"We've got the structures in place to get open shots, it's just a matter of putting the ball in the hole," Joyce said.
A full squad will be at disposal for the Miners, much to the relief of Joyce who has been without starters Kuany Kuany and captain Josh Fox over the last fortnight. American import Marqueze Coleman will also suit-up for the side after a superb return in last week's loss to the Melbourne Tigers.
His inclusion will provide valuable depth off the bench for Joyce, as well as a lethal defensive tool to use against NBL and former Ballarat Miners guard Peter Hooley.
While he expected the intensity to lift for match, Joyce said he didn't want his players thinking they needed to do too much.
"You can get caught up in thinking you've got to go up a level but realistically you've just got to play to your level," he said.
Miners forward Jerry Evans jr said he expected the Cobras to try and overwhelm the Miners with energy early in the contest. He said he was looking forward to it.
"The refs seem to put their whistle in their pocket in play-offs and let you play, and I feel like the aggressor usually wins those battles," he said.
AT A GLANCE
NBL1 QUALIFYING FINAL:
BALLARAT MINERS V KYLSYTH COBRAS
Saturday 7.30pm
MINERS LINE-UP
Starters - Jerry Evans jr, Josh Fox (C), Sam Short (C), Deng Acuoth, Kuany Kuany
Bench - Tristan Fisher, Marqueze Coleman, Jordan Lingard, Ross Weightman, Zach Dunmore, Blake Allison, Amos Brooks
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