Perth Wildcats centre Tom Jervis has warned his team that they'll cop another 'pantsing' if they don't fix the issues that arose in Sunday's grand final loss to Melbourne.
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The best-of-five NBL grand final series is locked at 1-1 after United beat Perth 92-74 in game two in Melbourne.
The glaring stat from Sunday's clash was the rebounding count, which Melbourne won 51-38, including a 20-10 edge in the offensive rebounds.
It was a beating that the Wildcats took personally.
Angus Brandt and Jervis combined for just five rebounds. In contrast, United duo Josh Boone and DJ Kennedy combined for 23, while Alex Pledger chipped in with seven.
Jervis said the whole team, not just him, were keen to atone when Perth host game three on Friday night.
"The whole team takes it personally," Jervis said.
"It's a shame that we didn't come with the same intensity we had on Friday (in game one).
"It's just mindset. We're well aware of the problems.
"The awesome thing about it is that although we lost ... they're all fixable things, and things that aren't ridiculous.
"They had 20 offensive rebounds, it's all a hustle thing. It's got nothing to do other than getting into the right position and the want for the ball."
Home court advantage has proven to be crucial during grand final series over the past decade, with the hosting side winning 31 of the past 34 grand final clashes.
But Jervis said the Wildcats weren't relying on the home-court edge to get them over the line in the current series.
"It means nothing. If you're not showing up on the night, they're going to beat the pants off you," Jervis said.
"They're the defending champs. If we're not switched on and doing the right things, the same thing is going to happen."
Jervis predicted the review of Perth's game two loss would be brutal.
"It's unfortunate that it's a grand final series and we didn't play our best game. It sucks," Jervis said.
"But we're not panicking or anything like that. We're looking forward to getting some redemption."
Australian Associated Press
