Tigers peaked 6-8 weeks too early - but they can certainly overtake us - but the 36ers are hitting some form at the right time

Not doubting what you're saying here, but I thought the NBL had 3 rounds (ie each team played each other 3 times). I haven't done any research on this so I'll stand corrected where I sit ..... but if I am right, what's the go here?

Moses...Every team plays 8 teams 3 times each and 2 teams 4 times each. The Sixers played Sydney & Melbourne 4 times.

Why? Who knows. Once the Giants went under leaving the NBL with 11 teams, they should have gone back to the 30 game season with each team playing each other 3 times. It's stupid, but that is the way it is.

They won't beat sydney and Perth thats for sure, i reckon the sixers are safe if they can beat bullets

I agree to a certain extent, melbourne have some tough games remaining. The big thing for me is not that we beat the Bullets at home, this should happen, but winning that last one in Cairns I think is a danger game for us!

The best thing that could've happened is having a close game at home against Cairns. Remember beating West Sydney at home earlier in the season by a big margin only to get pumped the next week at the Pigs!

Thanks Jas. Who does the draw at HQ? That's terrible. Hurry up and put a Mount Gambier team in the NBL and let's get back to a true national league. If anyone has Allan Scott's phone number, tell him to open the cheque book (again)!

From what I've heard a businessman in Tasmania is eager to fund a Tasmanian team once again but the NBL has requirements on stadium size for new teams and are pushing for another QLD team instead.

I think there are more problems with the 8-team finals than an 11-team league.

Playoff games are vital to club bank accounts so I guess this way 8 clubs get the end-of-season bonus, but it's pretty silly given that two teams will probably be knocked out without hosting a game anyway.

I think the Brisbane game is going to be a lot tougher than a number of people are saying here.

Brisbane is a very talented team who match up well with the Sixers. Both games we have played against them have gone down to the wire and their new import, Matthews, has really found a comfort zone that he had not really been in the other times we have gone up against them.

I'm not saying we can't win, but I don't think it is a given by any means.

This will be our first home game against the Bullets and with Maher back, I think we're solid favourites.

Jacob, though still taking some dud shots, is otherwise playing into form. Deserved more boards in the last game IMO. Has scored well in the last couple of games.

With Maher back and starting, Smyth has a fuller list of bench options.

Brannen isn't in good form at all, and the Bullets are only travelling with 9 players and no back-up big man going by previous encounters.

This from www.nbl.com.au

Note: Should teams finish with the same win-loss record and be tied in their head-to-head record, they will be split by overall points percentage.

Does this mean we are tied with the tigers in our head to head record even though they won their games by more points? Or does head to head mean points also.

I think they mean "overall points percentage" in games played between the teams, but they haven't worded it very well.

Otherwise, overall points percentage for the season favours us (3rd in the league).

If we both finish 20-12 for example, they will go ahead of us due to out scoring the sixers by an overall total of 6 points.

At this stage of the season, and with Maher back, there isn't anything wrong with having a heap of confidence with the Sixers winning at home. After all, the Sixers have a perfect record with Brett on court, and I think Isaac has made a valid point as to where Brisbane stand- SHAKY! For me its the Cairns game. Adelaide has lost 'give me's' before, numerous times to Hunter in Hunter which is the freshest in my mind.

Actually Isaac I think your right, it appears to be an overall POINTS PERCENTAGE. In the past the system has favoured the team that has won by a larger overal margin!

This league is always trying to reinvent itself, thye should start at a TOP SIX system!