After a string of home games to start the season, the Harbour Heat contemplate games 5 and 6 in a row on the road this weekend with a Thursday night visit to Wellington followed by a Friday night clash with the Cougars in Christchurch.

The clash with the Saints though will be a very different one from the first round 20 point hiding handed out at the North Shore Events Centre. For the Heat Dillon Boucher didn’t play in that game but more importantly for the Saints neither did Lindsay Tait or league leading scorer Eric Devendorf. The clash of the two high scoring back courts will be worth the price of admission alone with the stats suggesting a high scoring and open affair.

It is in the paint that the Heat might enjoy an advantage, if the statistics are to be believed anyway. With Rick Rickert and Dillon Boucher featuring strongly in the rebounding stats and able to call upon league veteran Daryl Cartwright from the bench, the Heat can expect to be more than competitive in that aspect of the game.

Head Coach Judd Flavell though hasn’t changed his message if the Heat is to continue their great start to the season.

“Nothing has changed for us and nothing should. Just because we have had a good start to the season doesn’t mean we can relax or lower our standards. Good teams improve through the season and we must continue to set our goals high and play to our very best standards every time we take the court. The Saints are a different team to our earlier encounter, with Tait and Devendorf in the lineup and Erron Maxey now very comfortable in their roster they will be like a new team. Obviously the scoring threat is not only increased considerably but with Tait and Devendorf on board, it comes from different areas as well with one of the strongest back courts in the league.”

For the Heat Dillon Boucher is now over his thigh injury that kept him off court in their only loss of the season last week against the Pistons. His experience in what is expected to be a hostile home environment could be crucial. The Saints are one of the better supported teams in the league and with the acid on to secure a home semi final, it is sure to be a pressure cooker atmosphere in the TSB Arena.

Once beyond the Saints game, the Heat travel to Christchurch against an even more desperate Cougars side looking to keep their slim play off hopes alive. About the best the Cougars can hope for is to grab 5^th or 6^th spot but if they have history on their side with an unbeaten record against the Heat, including a quarter final victory over the North Harbour side last season.