Basketball On The Internet.

REALLY reaching the pointy end of both the NBL and WNBL seasons so here is what your team's chances look like, utilising the North American sports table system of "games behind".

To quote The Phantom ... For Those Who Came In Late ... On these championship tables, all positions are judged against the team with the best record, with every win a team trails it by worth half a game and every loss difference also worth half a game.

That means our NBL and WNBL Tables currently look like this:

HEADING into the NBL's penultimate round, this is how your club is going in terms of every respective four-game season-series.

Bear in mind, series wins ONLY matter if teams have tied win-loss records at the end of the 28-game regular season. Then they become the ultimate tiebreaker. In the event of a win-loss record tie by more than two teams, a mini-table between them comes into play which is why those points spreads remain somewhat relevant.

Adelaide's series records, considering it is regular season champion and four games clear at the top, now are irrelevant because it cannot be caught. In many instances, series wins are no longer as important as just securing the W, such is the tightness of the league.

ADELAIDE: V Brisbane 3-1, +36 Series Won. V Cairns 2-0, +29. Two to go and points difference is strong. V Illawarra 1-3, -16. Series Lost. V Melbourne 2-2, -7. Series Lost. V NZ 2-1, +2. Determined this round. V Perth 3-1, +18. Series Won. V Sydney 4-0, +29. Series Won.

BRISBANE: V Adelaide 1-3, -36. Series Lost. V Cairns 2-2, +6. Series Won. V Illawarra 0-3, -21. Series Lost regardless of 4th game. V Melbourne 2-2, -19. Series Lost. V NZ 1-3, -19. Series Lost. V Perth 2-1, +18. In good shape, defending an 18-point buffer. V Sydney 2-2, +5. Series Won.

CAIRNS: V Adelaide 0-2, -29. Will take a lot to salvage this. V Brisbane 2-2, -6. Series Lost. V Illawarra 3-0, +38. Series Won, regardless of 4th game. V Melbourne 1-3, -5. Series Lost. V NZ 4-0, +33. Series Won. V Perth 1-2, -14. Still have a shot at this but it will take a 15-point home win. V Sydney 1-3, -17. Series Lost.

ILLAWARRA: V Adelaide 3-1, +16. Series Won. V Brisbane 3-0, +21. Series Won, regardless of 4th game. V Cairns 0-3, -38. Series Lost, regardless of 4th game. V Melbourne 2-1, +15. In the box seat. V NZ 2-2, +11. Series Won. V Perth 2-2, -6. Series Lost. V Sydney 1-3, -15. Series Lost.

MELBOURNE: V Adelaide 2-2, +7. Series Won. V Brisbane 2-2, +19. Series Won. V Cairns 3-1, +5. Series Won. V Illawarra 1-2, -15. Road blow-out has made salvaging this much tougher. V NZ 1-2, +13. Series pending. V Perth 0-3, -8. Series Lost, regardless of last game. V Sydney 2-1, -6. Only need a win in 4th game.

NEW ZEALAND: V Adelaide 1-2, -2. Blew their big advantage in this but a 3-point win in Adelaide isn't out of the question. V Brisbane 3-1, +19. Series Won. V Cairns 0-4, -33. Series Lost. V Illawarra 2-2, -11. Series Lost. V Melbourne 2-1, -13. A win clinches it. V Perth 3-1, +15. Series Won. V Sydney 1-3, -28. Series Lost.

PERTH: V Adelaide 1-3, -18. Series Lost. V Brisbane 1-2, -18. Going to need a 19-point win at home to get this one. V Cairns 2-1, +14. Series pending but in good shape. V Illawarra 2-2, +6. Series Won. V Melbourne 3-0, +8. Series Won, regardless of last game. V NZ 1-3, -15. Series Lost. V Sydney 2-1, +8. Kings would need a 9-point win in Perth to steal this.

SYDNEY: V Adelaide 0-4, -29. Series Lost. V Brisbane 2-2, -5. Series Lost. V Cairns 3-1, +17. Series Won. V Illawarra 3-1, +15. Series Won. V Melbourne 1-2, +6. Life left in Game 4 of this, for sure. V NZ 3-1, +28. Series Won. V Perth 1-2, -8. Winning by nine in Perth will be a big challenge.

THE WNBL is down to a tight finish, several series pending but Sydney secure in the Final Four.

Melbourne and Adelaide are well out of the equation but to keep them happy, we have a Michelle Couling pic of when they recently played each other!

The WNBL draw has inequities, with some series going only three games and others four. Makes zero sense but that's what you get when you want a 24-round season, and 21 equals playing everyone three times and 28 means playing four times each. 

And now, those head-to-heads...

BENDIGO: V Canberra 2-1, +8. That 14-point road loss stung and Game 4 also is in Canberra. V Dandenong 2-1, +16. Best-of-3 Series Won. V Perth 1-1, -28. One left in this best-of-3, making the margin largely unimportant (Unless there's a three-way tie). V Sydney 1-3, 0. Series Lost. V Townsville 1-2, -10. Went from 1-1 and +10 to 1-2 and -10 so 4th and final game is huge.

CANBERRA: V Bendigo 1-2, -8. This series is alive with a fourth game to come. V Dandenong 1-2, -8. Best-of-3 Series Lost. V Perth 1-1,-1. The decider in this is in Perth. V Sydney 2-2, -1. 4-game Series Lost. V Townsville 2-1, -23. Scored the home upset needed to keep this 4-game series alive, despite negative points spread.

DANDENONG: V Bendigo 1-2, -16. Best-of-3 Series Lost. V Canberra 2-1 +8. Best-of-3 Series Won. V Perth 2-1, +31. This is a 4-gamer and points buffer is very solid. V Sydney 1-1, -7. Best-of-3 with the decider away. V Townsville 1-0, +27. Best-of-3 with a lot of life left in this series.

PERTH: V Bendigo 1-1, +28. Best-of-3 with decider in Bendigo. V Canberra 1-1, +1. Best-of-3 with last one at home. V Dandenong 1-2, -31. Fourth game to go but points spread favours Rangers. V Sydney 1-2, -33. Best-of-3 Series Lost. V Townsville 2-1, -11. Best-of-3 Series Won.

SYDNEY: V Bendigo 3-1, 0. Series Won. V Canberra 2-2, +1. 4-game Series Won. V Dandenong 1-1, +7. This is only out of 3 so the decider is key. V Perth 2-1, +33. Best-of-3 Series Won. V Townsville 3-1, +6. 4-game Series Won.

TOWNSVILLE: V Bendigo 2-1, +10. This 4-game series is pending. V Canberra 1-2, +23. Shock road loss leaves this 4-game series up for grabs. V Dandenong 0-1, -27. Away and home to go in this 3-gamer. V Perth 1-2, +11. Best-of-3 Series Lost. V Sydney 1-3, -6. 4-game Series Lost.