The Run Home: All eyes on sixth spot

There are three rounds left of the NBL season and there are three key races to keep an eye on down the stretch. There's a fight for second spot to avoid the Play-In, a battle for third to have home court advantage and a race to sixth.

With Brisbane being decimated by injuries, it's getting tight between Tasmania and Adelaide in that fight for sixth spot. Both have a near identical percentage, which makes every game even more crucial.

17 wins, 8 losses, 110.56 per cent
(Games remaining: 4)

The Hawks look set to finish the season on top, which is where they deserve after what has been a very impressive regular season. Illawarra is a powerhouse and has shown that it’s the team to beat for the championship. The Hawks have four games left to solidify their spot in first place, with two of those against the bottom placed teams on the ladder.

The run home
R18: @ Cairns
R19: @ Tasmania
R20: @ New Zealand
R20: Vs Sydney

15 wins, 9 losses, 103.98 per cent
(Games remaining: 5)

Don’t look now but the Perth Wildcats are rolling along nicely towards the end of the season. They returned home to get a big win over Adelaide and with their remaining schedule, they are in charge of their own destiny to get to second spot. With four home games remaining, this Wildcats team is peaking at the perfect time.

The run home
R17: Vs Melbourne
R18: Vs Cairns
R19: Vs South East Melbourne
R19: @ Sydney
R20: Vs Adelaide

15 wins, 10 losses, 104.53 per cent
(Games remaining: 4)

At this point in the season, it’s less about how you win and more about just making sure you win. The Kings may not have been playing their best against Tasmania, but they came away with a big win and still have a legitimate chance at avoiding the Play-In Tournament. The hardest thing for the Kings right now is that every one of their remaining games is against four teams that all have something to play for, so they will have to be at their very best to secure a home court advantage.

The run home
R17: @ South East Melbourne
R18: V Adelaide 
R19: @ Perth
R20: @ Illawarra 

15 wins, 10 losses, 103.24 per cent
(Games remaining: 4) 

Melbourne United went into Illawarra with top spot on the line and walked away with a heavy defeat at the hand of the red-hot Hawks. Now the task for United is to try and hang onto second spot, which is not going to be an easy task with their remaining schedule. They will have to take care of business in Perth if they want to give themselves any chance of finishing second.

The run home
R17: @ Perth
R18: @ Brisbane
R19: Vs Tasmania
R20: Vs South East Melbourne

14 wins, 10 losses, 105.11 per cent
(Games remaining: 5)

The Phoenix have a tough run home in terms of their opposition, but they technically have four of those at home with a Throwdown to finish off the season. The Phoenix have been one of the hottest teams in the league as of late, and even with some key injuries, they still have the pieces to go deep into the finals. They will be hoping to have a home court advantage in the Play-In Tournament if they can get some key wins and keep their healthy percentage.

The run home
R17: Vs Sydney
R18: Vs Tasmania
R19: @ Perth
R19: Vs Adelaide
R20: @ Melbourne

12 wins, 13 losses, 97.08 per cent
(Games remaining: 4)

Tasmania is holding onto sixth spot ever so slightly with the 36ers applying pressure with every win. What hurts the JackJumpers is that Adelaide received a huge percentage boost with a win over Cairns, which has put all eyes on their final few games. With a substantial injury list, it looks as if the reigning champions will have to win two more games to cement their place in the finals.

The run home
R18: @ South East Melbourne
R19: Vs Illawarra
R19: @ Melbourne
R20: Vs Cairns

11 wins, 13 losses, 97.06 per cent
(Games remaining: 5)

The Adelaide 36ers split the round last week and did enough to help get a percentage boost in Cairns, which could be crucial for their finals chances. The positive for this team is that when they’re at their best, they can beat anyone in the league. The other side of that isn’t so pretty and could hurt them in their late run. With three road games remaining, they’ll be hoping to steal a couple of those wins and take care of business at home.

The run home
R18: @ Sydney
R18: Vs New Zealand
R19: Vs Brisbane
R19: @ South East Melbourne
R20: @ Perth

10 wins, 15 losses, 94.69 per cent
(Games remaining: 4)

While they can mathematically still make the post-season, it looks as if the injuries for the Bullets will be too tough to overcome. They lost both games in Round 17 by over 30 points, which not only makes it a concern for their chances to win any of their remaining games, but also how they can do enough for their percentage. With only nine players available against the Hawks, the Bullets are battling hard but will likely come up short on a post-season berth.

The run home
R18: @ New Zealand
R18: Vs Melbourne
R19: @ Adelaide
R20: @ Cairns

9 wins, 16 losses, 94.02 per cent
(Games remaining: 4)

New Zealand welcomed back its star guard from suspension and continue to fight down the final stretch of the season. The Breakers are in a position to leapfrog the Bullets in their final games, which would be a nice way to finish what has been a tough season. Not only can they do that, but their game against Adelaide could be a way to spoil the 36ers chances of playing finals, too.

The run home
R18: Vs Brisbane
R18: @ Adelaide
R19: Vs Cairns
R20: @ Illawarra

5 wins, 19 losses, 90.32 per cent
(Games remaining: 7)

It’s all eyes on the Round 18 match against the Hawks for the Taipans, as they look to protect their leading Summer Shootout score. The last time they played the Hawks, they pulled off a major victory as one of the upsets of the season, so it is redemption time for the ladder leaders. After beating Brisbane by over 30, the Taipans then put in a very disappointing effort at home to Adelaide and will be looking to bounce back from that.

The run home
R18: Vs Illawarra
R18: @ Perth
R19: @ New Zealand
R20: Vs Brisbane
R20: @ Tasmania