The old paradox ‘what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object’ always applies when the offensive wiz meets the defensive maestro.

In their latest meeting it was the immovable object who prevailed.

Martin, who missed Perth’s match against Brisbane last weekend with an ankle injury, kept Clarke to 12 points in the Wildcats’ valuable 99-91 victory at WIN Entertainment Centre back on December 10.

Just two of those points came in the second half when Illawarra needed their offensive weapon to fire to reduce a late deficit. 

“It was massive,” Hawks coach Rob Beveridge said of the performance.

“Rotnei is leading the league in scoring or thereabouts. 

"We is an incredible offensive player and there is no doubt Rotnei is special but then you look at someone like Damian Martin.

“I have said it for years and years and years and I have had the pleasure of coaching him. His defensive performance is just off the charts sometimes.

"Their game plan, nearly every time Rotty touched it, you had Damo wearing him like a glove.

"They are double teaming and getting after him.

“What we need to do with Rotty is, it's a case of you may not be getting a lot of points but you are drawing a lot of attention. That allows [Demitrius Conger] and others to get more involved.”

The Hawks will be hopeful Martin doesn’t recover in time for Saturday’s rematch.

His absence over the weekend didn’t go unnoticed in Perth’s 82-76 home loss to the Bullets. 

“We had a chance to prove something without our captain,” Wildcats coach Trevor Gleeson said.

“Damo has the rare ability of making other guys play at a higher level. We didn’t have that and we missed it.

“We have to find it without him.”

Illawarra are yet to beat Perth at all this season.

They have lost seven consecutive matches against the Wildcats, including getting swept in last season’s grand final series. 

Perth lead the NBL with a 10-4 record heading into the busy Christmas period while the Hawks are languishing at 5-9 in seventh.