Finals: Every Possible Scenario

Last updated - Post-game - Sunday February 5 - following Melbourne United win

The introduction of the play-in to NBL23 has drastically changed the landscape of the run in to finals. With just a handful of games remaining, the immediate futures of seven of the competition's ten teams are still up in the air.

Sydney has locked away top spot, New Zealand second, Cairns third and Tasmania fourth, while Illawarra and Brisbane are certain to finish tenth and ninth respectively - but for the other teams in the competition, it's game on.

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With their post-season futures already wrapped up, the Kings, Hawks and Bullets haven't been included in the following article. After all, they can't move anywhere on the ladder.

NBL Media looks at all the permutations leading into the Hungry Jack's NBL Finals. 

Positions confirmed: 
1. Sydney
2. New Zealand
3. Cairns
4. Tasmania
Qualified. South East Melbourne Phoenix (position to be confirmed) 

RELATED: Current NBL standings

Current ladder position – 7th
Current points percentage – 100.00
Remaining fixtures – Sydney (Home)
Best possible finish – 5th
Worst possible finish – 7th

The Wildcats really didn't help their own cause on Friday night. A loss at home to the Taipans now has them on the edge of missing finals for the second year in a row.

The percentage margin is slim, but Perth has now slipped to seventh on the NBL standings, and Melbourne's win over Adelaide makes things even tougher.

Thanks to the refusal for the 36ers to go away quietly though Perth is still right in the finals equation. If thew Wildcats defeat the Kings by 11 points or more - they're in.

Mathematically, the Wildcats could still finish fifth. But a significant percentage differential makes that scenario highly unlikely.

They'd need the equivalent of a 42-point win to catch the Phoenix at this stage in fifth. 

In short, it looks like it's sixth or bust for John Rillie's team. 

If Perth loses - or wins by less than 11 points - it's a second straight early finish for the Cats.

Current ladder position – 6th
Current points percentage – 100.04
Remaining fixtures – Adelaide (Home)
Best possible finish – 6th
Worst possible finish – 7th

Melbourne United has done its part in Sunday hoops. They secured a win over Adelaide, but it isn't as large a win as they might have hoped.

Rayjon Tucker's three at the final buzzer could prove crucial to the team's finals hopes. That remarkable shot means Perth must defeat Sydney by at least 11 points to overtake United in sixth.

Now, though, it's out of Melbourne's hands.

Current ladder position – 5th
Current points percentage – 101.63
Remaining fixtures – Nil
Best possible finish – 5th
Worst possible finish – 6th

Melbourne's win over Adelaide in the opening game of Sunday hoops saw United do their noisy neighbours a favour - they're now a certainly to take part in the post-season.

While the major storyline is the uncertainty surrounding whether Melbourne or Perth will make the finals, there is a chance the Wildcats could even leapfrog the Phoenix - but they'd need a miraculous scoreline.

Should Perth do any worse than a 42-point win over the reigning champs you can lock South East Melbourne into a home play-in elimination final.