Young Wildcat Matthew Burston left West Sydney's playoff ambitions in tatters tonight after leading Perth to a 106-91 national basketball league victory in Bunbury.

The win was particularly sweet for the 'Cats after the Pigs barrelled them out in the first round of the playoffs last year.

The side from the harbour city (11-16 record) entered the match with its playoff hopes on a knife edge but now it needs Melbourne (13-13) to falter in its final four matches of the regular season to be any hope.

But the Perth (20-8) win keeps the heat on Sydney (20-8) in the race for the minor premiership despite the Kings effectively having a one-game advantage because they took the split 2-1.

The Kings can lock up home-court advantage with victories against Cairns and Adelaide in the next eight days.

Burston again energised his team off the bench finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds in 27 minutes and constantly troubling the Pigs' tall timber.

West Sydney sharpshooter John Rillie (27 points) and forward Sam Mackinnon (25) kept their side in the match but they had little support on offence.

Unfortunately for the Pigs, big man Simon Dwight is due to return next match but he will come back to a team with only the slightest sniff of playoff action.

Tony Ronaldson's outside shooting ignited the Wildcats' offence in the opening quarter with Perth leading 32-19 at the first break.

The Pigs' up-tempo offence failed to click in a scrappy opening but John Rillie sparked an 11-2 run to bring the Sydneysiders back into the match in the second quarter.

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