Starting 5: The key talking points leading into Round 22

This six-game slate features numerous blockbusters, headlined by Sunday's historic Ignite Cup Final on the Gold Coast.

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All the action tips off on Wednesday night with Tasmania hosting Illawarra at MyState Bank Arena from 7.30pm AEDT.

Pete Hooley takes a look at some of those key moments to watch out for.

The full schedule

Tasmania JackJumpers v Illawarra Hawks - Wednesday, February 18, 7.30pm AEDT - MyState Bank Arena
Watch: ESPN | Scores and stats: Game Centre

New Zealand Breakers v Cairns Taipans - Thursday, February 19, 5.30pm AEDT - Spark Aena
Watch: ESPN | Scores and stats: Game Centre

Melbourne United v South East Melbourne Phoenix - Thursday, February 19, 7.30pm AEDT - John Cain Arena
Watch: ESPN | Scores and stats: Game Centre

Brisbane Bullets v Sydney Kings - Friday, February 20, 7.30pm AEDT - Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Watch: ESPN | Scores and stats: Game Centre

Perth Wildcats v Adelaide 36ers - Friday, February 20, 9.30pm AEDT - RAC Arena
Watch: ESPN | Scores and stats: Game Centre

Adelaide 36ers v New Zealand Breakers - Sunday, February 22, 4.30pm AEDT - Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
Watch: ESPN and Channel 10 | Scores and stats: Game Centre

Talking points

1 – Finish the season on a high

The reigning champions' quest to go back-to-back never looked likely in NBL26, largely due to being hit with injuries at the wrong time and struggling to get any sort of continuity on the court. While the disappointment continues to settle in, their win last weekend over Melbourne United would have given them plenty of joy heading towards the off-season. The Hawks get one more chance to finish on a positive note, if they can go down to Tasmania and take care of business. If they play anywhere near the way they did against United, they’d give themselves a strong chance to give their fans a good send-off for the season.

2 – Play smart

The New Zealand Breakers have one final home game to give their fans some joy in another tough season. The tricky part for the Breakers is that they’ll have one eye on the Ignite Cup final on Sunday and their chance to win $300,000. There’s a fine line between making sure they keep some momentum going into Sunday, but also not risking anyone in their Thursday game against Cairns. The Taipans will also be trying to end the season with a win, and it will be a chess game from both coaches once the ball is thrown up.

3 – Who is big brother?

The last Throwdown of the season could be the biggest yet for many reasons. Firstly, the Phoenix have a chance to climb back into the top two and wait on Adelaide’s final game to see if they will finish there. However, the back half of this season has shown that Josh King’s men have been the best Victorian team and will be looking to send a message to their rival. If United can come together and get this win, it could also set up a potential Throwdown Play-in game after the FIBA Break, which would have emotions ready to boil over.

4 – The all-important game

No matter what happens in the Throwdown on Thursday night, the NBL is continuing its tradition of having it all come down to the final game. When Adelaide travels over to Perth to finish the regular season, the result of this matchup will have ramifications across the board in more than one way. The 36ers will potentially be playing for a top two finish and a chance to avoid the Wildcats again in the first round of the Play-In. Perth on the other hand is essentially playing for what path they would rather see on the way to a championship. Plenty on the line as Bryce Cotton returns to face the Red Army for the second time.

5 - History on the Gold Coast

When the dust settles on this incredible regular season on Friday night, all eyes will turn to the Gold Coast on Sunday for the inaugural Ignite Cup final. A record $400,000 will be given away as the 36ers take on the New Zealand Breakers, with the game not counting towards the regular season. For the Breakers, it’s an encore before their off-season begins as they won’t feature in the post-season, however the 36ers will have one eye locked on going all the way after the FIBA break concludes.