Masked Pinder's superhero career night fires Wildcats into semis

• Cotton v Goulding: Perth Wildcats set-up dream clash against Melbourne United
• Keanu Pinder has a career-high in points with 35 to lead the Wildcats
• South East Melbourne face the winner of Sydney's clash with Adelaide

Keanu Pinder's career night and a second half domination led the Perth Wildcats to a 122-105 win (Game Centre) against the South East Melbourne Phoenix in their Seeding Qualifier at the Perth High Performance Centre to lock in five-game NBL semi-finals match-up with Melbourne United.

Pinder, 29, recorded a career-high 35 points to go along with 11 rebounds as the Wildcats showcased their offensive firepower in a high-scoring affair against the Phoenix as Perth looked as though the venue change, with RAC Arena unavailable, didn't make a difference at all.

The turning point came in the third quarter when the Wildcats extended their lead with a 34-23 run with Pinder's dominance in the paint evident during this stretch, as he consistently found ways to score against the Phoenix's interior defence. With 6:24 left in the third, Pinder threw down a thunderous dunk off a feed from Bryce Cotton, igniting the Wildcats crowd and pushing the lead to 15 points.

South East Melbourne Phoenix made a valiant effort to stay in the game. Angus Glover provided a spark off the bench with his hot shooting from beyond the arc, keeping the Phoenix within striking distance, as he connected on 6-from-9 attempts from three but the Wildcats' balanced attack and superior rebounding proved too much for the visitors to overcome.

Pinder showcased his versatility, shooting a red-hot 11-from-13 from the field, including a perfect 3-from-3 from beyond the arc with his work on the glass (11 rebounds) also key to the Wildcats' success.

His performance was made even more special for Perth, considering the athletic forward had spent most of the regular season coming off the bench.

It was a true team effort for the home side with five players scoring in double figures, newly crowned five-time MVP Bryce Cotton supported Pinder's night with 27 points and four assists, while Kristian Doolittle contributed a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

The Wildcats' efficiency from the field (49.3% compared to the Phoenix's 43.0%) and dominance on the boards (54-31 rebounding advantage) were decisive.

Defensively, the Wildcats' rim protection was superior, with six blocks to the Phoenix's two with Dylan Windler's three blocks, along with Pinder's two, helping deter South East Melbourne's attempts to score in the paint and forced them into tougher shots.

For the Phoenix, MVP finalist Matt Hurt led the scoring with 24 points but the team struggled to find consistent offensive production beyond him and Nathan Sobey (22 points). Joe Wieskamp, typically a reliable scorer for South East Melbourne, had an off night, just hitting one free throw and going 0-of-10 from the field.

The Wildcats' win locks them into a five-game semi-final series against United with the schedule yet to be confirmed while the Phoenix will take on the winner of Thursday's elimination play-in game in Sydney between the Kings and the Adelaide 36ers.

The Kings will be without All-NBL Second Team member and former MVP Xavier Cooks who has been suspended.