Just like in politics, a week can be a long time in basketball.

And just like outgoing Prime Minister John Howard, Melbourne Tigers coach Al Westover will be happy this long week is over after losing 103-85 to the Perth Wildcats at Challenge Stadium on Saturday night.

After a tight first quarter, the Wildcats unleashed a landslide on the visitors, with likely candidates Shaun Redhage (20 points) and Peter Crawford (14 points, three assists) aided by import Gerald Brown.

And while David Barlow (19 points) provided some resistance for the visitors, the contest was only marginal until the first change - and provided a miserable encore to the Tigers' 26-point loss to Townsville on Wednesday.

Having broken their own three-game losing streak last week against Wollongong, the Wildcats had talked about keeping the momentum going - but instead conceded two three pointers before their own night had started.

Barlow and Daryl Corletto both found their range, and it was more than two minutes before Crawford's three allowed the home crowd to relax a little.

With Redhage missing five of his nine first quarter efforts, and Brown reluctant to shoot and missing when he did, it was left to Perth's bench to take up the slack.

Jeff Dowdell, Brad Robbins and Adam Caporn all contributed - the latter in the dying seconds - to give the Wildcats a two point first quarter lead.

And with Melbourne turning over six times to Perth's one, the trio's influence continued into the second.

Corletto's three was seen by Caporn and then raised to take the lead to double figures, and with the Wildcats uncompromising in defence, the Tigers' claws were being clipped.

Only Barlow was earning his stripes, with his third and fourth three pointers keeping the margin within touching distance.

But with Perth shooting 55 per cent in the first half, and 63 per cent from outside the arc, the Tigers had to run hard just to stand still on the scoreboard.

With the gap 13, Chris Anstey's spectacular foul on Alex Loughton prompted a volcanic explosion from Wildcats coach Scott Fisher on the sidelines, but it also sparked some fire in Melbourne.

But with the gap reduced to nine, the Tigers' shooting totally deserted them - allowing the Wildcats to run riot.

Even Brown's simple lay up to put the Wildcats 18 points up was greeted with huge approval, and the struggling import showed some of his qualities to finish with 15 points and six assists.

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