Basketball On The Internet.

HONESTY in a post-game interview? Well if you're ever going to get it, that's where it will be, when the adrenalin is still pumping and emotion is travelling faster than the "consider-the-consequences" gene can kick in.

Nonetheless, it was still something of a pleasant surprise not to hear the time-honored (and boring) response when Perth coach Rob "The Sensei" Beveridge and 2012 league MVP Kevin Lisch were asked which opponent they would rather face in the iiNet Championship series - New Zealand or Sydney?

"Both are great teams so we'd be happy to play either one of them," is the politically correct answer, as uttered by coaches and players for eons now.

As a viewer, you would suspect the Wildcats, coming off their great 85-81 overtime Game 2 semi final success over the Hawks in Wollongong, would rather play Sydney.

Yes, they have beaten New Zealand three out of four times but they have owned the Kings.

But who says that?

Bevo and Lisch, that's who.

"Ah Grasshopper... probably Sydney. We think we have their number," The Sensei said. (Though maybe I paraphrased a little.)

And Lisch?

"Obviously, we've been really successful against Sydney," he said.

So there you go. Political correctness out the window - and isn't it great to see?

The Kings weigh in tomorrow against New Zealand, down one in their best-of-three series and desperately needing to stifle the run generated by Cedric Jackson to prevent the inevitable - an encore Perth-NZ Grand Final series.

The Wildcats have their own work to do, firstly getting point guard Damian Martin back healthy after he went out early with what appeared an achilles injury but which Beveridge later said was a calf.

The Hawks would be empathetic but hardly sympathetic, given what they have dealt with injury-wise this season. They lost Adris Deleon themselves for the second half of the semi to injury.

Lisch had to deal with a hostile crowd - he didn't handle it with his usual cool composure either - for no other reason than Tyson Demos picking up an offensive foul for too much spice on an elbow swing, then defending him a little too energetically.

Then the impressive young Mirko Djeric also collected a foul for too much defensive enthusiasm against Lisch and the Perth import was suddenly a villain!

Lisch still went for 20 points and six assists - he would have had double-digit assists if Greg Hire and Matt Knight had connected on absolute gimmes - but it was his five turnovers which were uncharacteristic.

Make no mistake, the booing rattled him but in the end, free throws is what prevented Wollongong from extending this series the distance.

Hawks captain Oscar Forman (14 points, 10 boards) in the last half-minute of regulation had two freebies with Wollongong ahead 73-71. He makes both and we're most likely heading to a Game 3. But he only made the second, leaving the door ajar.

Shawn Redhage (27 points at 58%) missed his three for the tie but ran down the rebound and Everard Bartlett stepped up to swish the triple for 74-74.

Malcolm Grant (11 points, 5 assists) had a shot to win it but missed, Tim Coenraad collaring the board.

Unlike that magical time a decade ago at Easter when free throws by Damon Lowery bobbled on the ring before dropping in to eliminate Adelaide, Coenraad's shot caught several pieces of the hoop but fell away harmlessly and the semi was going to overtime.

Nice stat put up almost immediately by @nblfacts on twitter was that Wollongong had not won an overtime game at home since April, 2001.

It still hasn't.

Lisch made the three which split the scores and down the straight, Jesse Wagstaff iced two free throws to confirm Perth's date in the Grand Final series.

Semi Finals Game 2

PERTH WILDCATS 85 (Redhage 27, Lisch 20; Hire 12 rebs) d WOLLONGONG HAWKS 81 (Coenraad 16, Forman 14, Grant 11; Gruber 12 rebs) at WIN Entertainment Centre.

Perth wins series 2-0.