The final two playoff spots are up for grabs as we preview the best bets heading into the pointy end of the season.
It all starts tonight with the Illawarra Hawks and Perth Wildcats.
Perth Wildcats @ Illawarra Hawks
June 1st 7:30pm
A win for the Illawarra Hawks against the Perth Wildcats tonight will seal their finals berth this season.
With Melbourne United and Perth locked in to finish first and second respectively, the Hawks have the chance to lock in third place with victory against a Wildcats team who may opt to rest their star players.
Perth made it three wins in a row to keep United honest atop of the table with a 81-67 victory over the Sydney Kings, while the Hawks made it four in a row with a 97-83 rout of the Adelaide 36ers.
Illawarra failed at its last attempt to defeat Perth by falling short 83-69 back on April 16.
Brian Goorjian and his squad faded away in the second-half of the 14-point loss but may now face a Wildcats team without Bryce Cotton who hit 18 points on that night.
There is too much on the line for Illawarra to lose and expect the Wildcats, albeit unwillingly, to just bring the heat down a notch in preparation for the playoffs.
Suggested Bets:
Illawarra Hawks head to head at $1.87
Brisbane Bullets @ SEM Phoenix
June 2nd 7:30pm
The final playoff spot is on the line for both the Brisbane Bullets and South East Melbourne Phoenix when they clash tomorrow night.
With two games left, the Bullets enter this must-win clash reeking with desperation after doing all they needed to against New Zealand last week.
The Bullets kept the playoff flame flickering as their starting five helped notch up a 95-83 win over the Breakers.
Lamar Patterson and Nathan Sobey combined brilliantly with the pair looking to do the same against a Phoenix team who were upset by Cairns last Friday.
Phoenix blew a 10-point lead heading into the final quarter against the Taipans to go down 94-87 and in the process kept itself in danger of missing out on the playoffs.
A win for the Phoenix will be enough to seal the deal and the most recent encounter it had against the Bullets sees them in prime position to do so.
Simon Mitchell led his men to a thumping 29-point dissection of the Bullets just under a fortnight ago thanks to an explosive second-half.
The Phoenix outscored the Bullets by 21 points after half time to set up a commanding 95-66 win.
Class should rise to the top here; Phoenix win.
Suggested Bet: SEM Phoenix head to head at $1.38
