The Canterbury Rams are beating everyone and are strong favourites to claim pole position for the National Basketball League playoffs.
No-one is beating them at the moment. Not even the Auckland Tuatara, who have also already clinched a playoff spot.
You can go ahead and ink in the Taranaki Airs as well.
The top three sides are a good measure ahead of their rivals as the competition nears the business end.
The Wellington Saints have secured a post-season appearance as well.
The Franklin Bulls were one win way from booking their spot at the start of the round, but lost 87-84 to the Whai in Tauranga on Thursday night and will still need to register a win against either the Tuatara, Hawks, Rams or Nuggets.
They will be favourites in two of those games, including the match against the Otago Nuggets, who have hit the skids.
The Nuggets have played some rancid basketball in recent weeks. They have lost some key personnel which certainly has not helped.
But there were signs earlier in the season the team had some pretty serious limitations.
That said, they still have a slim chance of breaking back into the top six and featuring during the playoffs.
They will need to play a lot better than they did during their 66-59 loss to the Whai in Dunedin on Sunday. That was their fourth lowest score in their history. But before we descend into the gloom and never re-emerge, here is how the Nuggets can make it through.
They need to win their final three round-robin games, starting with the Wellington Saints in the capital tomorrow, the Giants in Nelson on July 5 and the Bulls in Dunedin on July 13. That will get the Nuggets to a record of 9-11 and that might be enough.
The Giants (8-9) have the inside lane. If they win two of their final three games then it is curtains for the Nuggets.
The Giants play the struggling Sharks in Nelson tomorrow, the Nuggets are next up and they finish up with a tough away fixture against the Airs.
The Hawks are still in the mix for the top six, but they have a tough run with games against the Bulls, Jets and Tuatara.
The Whai kept their chances alive with a win against the Bulls on Thursday. They play the Saints next and finish up with the Jets in the final round.
The Manawatu Jets and the Southland Sharks are out of contention.
NBL
Standings
Canterbury Rams 14-2
Auckland Tuatara 14-3
Taranaki Airs 13-4
Wellington Saints 11-6
Franklin Bulls 10-6
Nelson Giants 8-9
Tauranga Whai 7-11
Otago Nuggets 6-11
Hawke’s Bay Hawks 6-11
Southland Sharks 2-14
Manawatū Jets 1-15
NB: Correct as of June 27
