Nine wins from 16 regular-season games has typically been enough to make the top four in the National Basketball League.
The Nuggets are 9-1. They are the form team in the league and they will want to keep winning as they prepare for their first appearance in the playoffs since 1997.
Their remaining games are. -
V Jets
Dunedin, June 8
Key match-up: Nuggets centre Antoine Tisby is coming into some good form as the competition gets serious. But he has a fierce battle on his hands this weekend. Jets centre Nick Horvath has won the rebounding title for the past two seasons and is a big offensive threat as well.
Prospects: The Jets will be playing their third game in six days and that is a tough ask. The Nuggets will probably get a better gauge of how good the Jets are the following week.
V Jets
Palmerston North, June 14
Key match-up: Speedy guard Chris Hagan has performed well for the Jets with per-game averages of 6.8 assists and 17.9 points. But the 24-year-old is coming up against a very experienced campaigner in Mark Dickel. The man nicknamed Sparky is a champion defender and one of the best passing guards in the league.
Prospects: The Jets have been a little up and down but will be desperate to defend their home court as they battle to make the playoffs.
V Giants
Nelson, June 15
Key match-up: Akeem Wright can be a streaky shooter but he is such a valuable all-round contributor for the Nuggets and a good defender. He will need to be because his opponent, Josh Pace, is one of the leading scorers in the league.
Prospects: The Nuggets annihilated the Giants 92-59 in Dunedin in May, but the Nelson side has rebounded well from that loss. The Giants will arguably start favourites on their home court.
V Sharks
Invercargill, June 21
Key match-up: The Sharks will look to double-team BJ Anthony and keep the Nuggets power forward away from the hoop. That means a busy night for American Brian Conklin, with help from the likes of Gareth Dawson and Leon Henry.
Prospects: The Sharks are better than their 29-point loss to the Nuggets in Dunedin. The score blew out in the final quarter. Until then, the Sharks matched the Nuggets' physicality. But they will have to do a much better job rebounding to win.
V Saints
Dunedin, June 30
Key match-up: Someone will have to lasso Lindsay Tait. He runs the show. Dickel is an excellent defender but he can't be everywhere all of the time. Hayden Allen will have to chip in and he is a more than capable.
Prospects: The Saints are the only team to beat the Nuggets this season. They have talent to burn and shot 60% from the floor in their 102-93 win. The Nuggets put up more shots, though, and will believe the game is winnable, particularly at home where they have been so dominant.
V Mountain Airs
New Plymouth, July 6
Key match-up: Nuggets outside defenders such as Hayden Allen and Riki Buckrell will have to be on their game. American guard Jack Leasure loves putting up three-pointers.
Prospects: The Nuggets should be too strong for the Mountain Airs. Even with home court advantage, it is hard to see where the Airs could target the Nuggets. They are just too reliant on imports Leasure and Gabriel Kenny.
The NBL finals will be held in Napier from July 13 to 14 and will be broadcast live on Sky television.
