KEY POINTS:
Harbour coach John Dorge won't be telling his players to peg back their aggression and stay out of foul trouble in tomorrow night's semifinal showdown with the defending champions Bay Hawks.
The Heat slumped to only their second home defeat of the season last time out against Waikato Pistons after co-captains Hayden Allen and Brent Charleton fouled out early.
The influential Allen managed just 19 minutes in that match after being forced to sit out much of the first half with two early fouls before eventually fouling out with the game on the line.
With injured import Oscar Foreman's prospects of playing a significant role still unclear, the Heat can little afford to lose Allen and Charleton early again.
Foreman trained with the Heat yesterday but was still receiving treatment on his injured hamstring.
Whatever Foreman's participation level, Dorge insists there will be no change of approach. His message to his players: "Be aggressive and play smart.
"Continue what you've done over the last four months because that's why you are in the semifinal."
But Dorge's counterpart, Shawn Dennis, believes the Heat are vulnerable to picking up unnecessary fouls.
"From an offensive point of view, I think at times they can be a little bit foul-prone," Dennis said.
The Hawks coach also believes that the Heat can tend to struggle against the zone defence, particularly without Foreman's perimeter shooting.
The Hawks have three-point shooting issues of their own, thanks to the absence of reigning MVP Paora Winitana for religious reasons.
Dennis concedes Winitana's absence will leave a gaping hole but is choosing to accentuate the positive.
"We know the cards that have been dealt, we've just got to play them.
"It's not something we haven't faced in the past. We had to play in last year's semifinal without him and we were able to do the job and, obviously, we feel we can do it again."
The Hawks are also coming off a loss, going down at home to lowly Canterbury in their final regular season match.
"I haven't even worried about it, to be honest," said Dennis of his side's unexpected meltdown.
"At the end of the day it didn't mean anything. We were always going to have to travel on the road. They are always hard games.
"You try to do everything in your power to make sure the team is as ready as it can be but there is no doubt we had a mental letdown.
"But we finished 7-2 in our last nine games and we are in the playoffs while other teams are already on holiday. That is all we are concentrating on."
Dorge, too, is choosing to look forward rather than back, saying his side's table-topping regular season effort counted for nothing.
"It comes down to being at your best and giving your best in this one particular game.
"But if you look at what the boys have done over the last four months of the regular season, they have been pretty consistent.
"I'm confident they can come out and play hard and that the result will take care of itself."
THE SEMIS
* Today: Waikato Pistons v Nelson Giants, 7.30pm, Te Awamutu Events Centre.
* Tomorrow: Harbour Heat v Bay Hawks, 7.30pm, North Shore Events Centre.
