NBL Regular Season Concludes: Kings Finish Top as Play-Ins Set

Alex Bebendorf

The regular season is complete in the National Basketball League, and the final ladder could hardly have been tighter. With just one win separating the top two sides and a tightly packed group behind them, the run to the postseason is shaping up as a fascinating one.

Kings Claim Top Spot

The Sydney Kings finished the season on top of the table with a 24–9 record, narrowly edging the Adelaide 36ers, who ended the year 23–10.

Both sides are rewarded with a direct path into the playoffs, bypassing the Play-In tournament and moving straight into the semi-final stage. With the rest of the field forced to fight their way through the extra round, Sydney and Adelaide will enjoy a valuable break before the postseason begins.

Third Through Sixth Headed for Play-In

Behind the top two sits a competitive group that will now contest the Play-In tournament.

South East Melbourne Phoenix secured third place with a 22–11 record, finishing just ahead of the Perth Wildcats at 21–12. Melbourne United ended the season fifth at 20–13, while the Tasmania JackJumpers held onto the final postseason berth in sixth, finishing 14–19.

Although Tasmania’s record sits below .500, it was still enough to secure the final spot in the extended postseason format.

Four Teams Eliminated

The season has come to an end for the remaining four clubs.

The New Zealand Breakers and Illawarra Hawks both finished with identical 13–20 records but fell short of the top six. For both teams, the season will likely be remembered as one where stretches of competitiveness ultimately weren’t enough to keep pace with the tightly packed middle of the ladder.

The Cairns Taipans endured a difficult campaign to finish ninth at 9–24, struggling to build sustained momentum across the season as the gap to the playoff positions gradually widened.

At the bottom, the Brisbane Bullets finished last with a 6–27 record, bringing a challenging season to a close and leaving the club with plenty to address heading into the offseason.

How the Play-In Works

The Play-In tournament will determine the final two teams advancing to the playoff semi-finals.

Third-placed South East Melbourne will face fourth-placed Perth in the Seeding Qualifier. The winner of that matchup advances directly to a best-of-three playoff series against Adelaide.

The loser is given another chance, hosting the winner of the elimination game between Melbourne United and the Tasmania JackJumpers. The team that emerges from that contest will claim the final playoff spot and advance to face the top-seeded Sydney Kings.

With the ladder now settled and the format set, the race for the championship moves into its most intense phase. In a season defined by tight margins, the postseason promises more of the same as the league’s remaining contenders battle to keep their title hopes alive.