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INCREDIBLE as this may seem, seven of the nine WNBL teams have positive win-loss records as we head into Round 5, while only one NBL team remains unbeaten and no club has less than two wins.

In four rounds so far.

It speaks volumes to the level of both competitions when SEQ and Sydney can battle out a ripper overtime thriller, Bendigo can beat Perth then lose in Adelaide or Townsville split a trip to Melbourne.

And while Illawarra's loss in Perth was a shock blow-out, it sharply was contrasted by last second wins in the Melbourne-Perth and Cairns-Adelaide thrillers.

What baffles me though is how coaches often forget to protect the margin. In competitions where head-to-head will in several instances determine the higher-placed finisher, it always surprises me when a blow-out is accepted.

[It's no serious issue for the WNBL, because teams there play each other three times so the head-to-head winner is most likely going to be determined by the win-loss. Even there though, in three-way ties where the head-to-heads are 3-3 (A beats B 2-1, B beats C 2-1, C beats A 2-1 = A-B-C all 3-3) the points spread then becomes relevant.]

But in the NBL, where it can finish 2-2 from the four meetings between two clubs, the points differential will be a factor. So yes, whether you lose by seven or 13 may come back to bite.

NBL RANKINGS This Wk-Prev (Record)

8 (7) CROCODILES 2-6 - Chronic draw kills them again this week.

7 (8) KINGS 2-5 - Unstable and unable to progress until management backs off.

6 (5) HAWKS 3-4 - Will be looking for a quick bounce back from Perth embarrassment.

5 (4) 36ERS 3-3 - Will most likely split round after soft performance at home.

4 (6) TAIPANS 3-4 - Found their mojo and focus but scoring 104? That's new.

3 (2) BREAKERS 3-3 - Have an early season bruise to give back to Adelaide.

2 (3) WILDCATS 4-2 - Have a score to settle with the Crocs and can do it twice.

1 (1) UNITED 7-0 - A dream draw hasn't done them any harm but NZ is the challenge.

WNBL RANKINGS This Wk-Prev (Record)

9 (8) CAPITALS 0-6 - Have yet to find the formula for a 40-minute performance.

8 (9) LIGHTNING 1-4 - Great home win and can make it two against the Lynx.

7 (6) SPIRIT 4-3 - Chance to regroup against a bona fide playoff contender in SEQ.

6 (4) LYNX 3-2 - Will hit Adelaide looking to bounce back and have the size to do it.

5 (7) BOOMERS 3-2 - Flexed some muscle last round and another 2-0 weekend possible.

4 (2) FLAMES 3-2 - Probably staring at a split but a win north would be huge.

3 (5) RANGERS 3-2 - Just teetering fractionally and need to bounce the Boomers.

2 (3) STARS 4-1 - Tough trip ahead and results will show where they really sit.

1 (1) FIRE 3-2 - Yes, lost this week but still the team to beat and monster at home.

THIS WEEK'S TIPS

ROLLING back to full potency, Perth will be hellbent on erasing the home loss to the Crocs when it hits Townsville. Even without The Beast (quad soreness) there will be no Trevor Gleeson love for his former club who will have too many guns now Casey Prather and Damo are back in action. Just FYI, Damo had eight assists in 16 minutes last game.

ADELAIDE opened its season belting New Zealand 90-71 but that was a Breakers outfit without Corey Webster, Thomas Abercrombie and Alex Pledger. Things have changed for this return bout and with 36ers captain Adam Gibson somewhat hobbled, it's tough to picture a second Sixers upset.

THE Kings have had a few days to see if they can right their season against a Melbourne team which buried them on Sunday with a Chris Goulding-inspired first quarter barrage. In Sydney, don't expect the result to be greatly different, although the margin should be tighter.

AT home, Cairns beat Illawarra to open its season but the Hawks have Kevin Lisch back now after he took a (fair) hit early in that opener which sidelined him. The Taipans will be loving life again after Markel Starks' game-winner over Adelaide but the Hawks will be anxious to bounce back from their Jungle mauling. This should be a gem, especially in Gordie McLeod's homecoming to Wollongong as a key member of Aaron Fearne's coaching staff. Hawks at home.

LIFE won't be any easier for Townsville at Perth, the two teams having a chance to bond playing UNO on the flights from Queensland to WA. While the Crocs may prefer to play SNAP, on court and with a hostile home crowd and Jawai back, Townsville will be struggling to keep this one close.

BY now, Al Harrington will have found the pace of the NBL, meaning Adelaide will bear the brunt of what the 1,036-NBA gamer has left in the tank when Sydney hits The Fortress. The match will be their 100th as Sixers for Brendan Teys and Anthony Petrie and Adelaide's 1,000th game as "the 36ers". Will all that make any difference? No. Will the 36ers win? Yes.

THE match of the round should conclude it when New Zealand hits Melbourne for only the second genuine threat to United's winning streak. The prospect of super-shooters Chris Goulding and Corey Webster putting on a show is tantalising but the battles of players such as Majok Majok with Mika Vukona, Stephen Holt against Cedric Jackson, Todd Blanchfield against Tom Abercrombie ... there is much to enthrall. With Hakim Warrick missing for United, the Breakers are deeper and can win, depending on which version of Dean Vickerman's team shows up.

THE Flames were unlucky to lose on the road to SEQ in overtime and even though Renee Montgomery now has settled in at Canberra, Sydney holds the aces here. Carolyn Swords also has had time now to acclimatise suggesting it is 0-7 coming up for the Caps.

AFTER beating Canberra and Townsville, Melbourne will hit Dandenong full of confidence in what looms as the match of the round between the Victorian heavyweights. Tess Madgen and Elyse Penaluna are having great seasons but so too is Larissa Anderson in the Rangers chair. Time-outs even make sense! This is very close to call but maybe Dandenong at home.

FOR Bendigo (above), its trip west was a mixed bag, beating Perth, dropping to Adelaide. Players looked listless and entitled against Lightning and suffered a rude shock. Having already lost to SEQ on the road and with a chance to beat the league leader, this looms as a Spirit surprise.

SINCE dropping at home to Bendigo, Townsville has been ruthless at RSL Stadium but Sydney has weapons Canberra and Adelaide did not. Batkovic-Swords will be a great duel and Cocks-Tupaea also looms largely. Mia Murray will cause Sydney match-up issues and Cayla George is travelling well too. In a hot one, the Fire should come through.

NO-ONE will come into Adelaide cocky again and certainly not Perth, which lost to the Bendigo team Lightning beat last round. Adelaide played a sizzling defensive game and if it can repeat that, this will be tight too, the battle of Rio Olympics-bound point guards Mitchell and Lavey a bonus. Lynx to sneak in through their Tomlinson-Burton "twin towers".

SEQ at Melbourne presents the Boomers another shot at playoff legitimacy and should be a gem of a contest. Rachel Jarry has been getting it done for the Stars and playing her former club in Melbourne adds spice to this. At home, the odds slightly favour Melbourne but this will be close.

KNOCK KNOCK

Who's there?

Dwayne Wade

Dwayne Wade who?

Dwayne weighed in on virtually every Fox TV game last round!