Can the NZ Breakers make the NBL playoffs?

Mika Vukona, Corey Webster and Cedric Jackson (Getty Images)
Mika Vukona, Corey Webster and Cedric Jackson (Getty Images)

Feel like a headache? Try figuring out the permutations for the final round of the Aussie NBL.

The Breakers currently sit fourth, two wins behind the Illawarra Hawks and level with the Adelaide 36ers with two games to play.

Adelaide also has two games to go while the Hawks have one.

So the table looks something like this:

Can the NZ Breakers make the NBL playoffs?

I won't bore you with Cairns, Townsville and Sydney since they are already out of the running.

Melbourne, Perth and Illawarra are guaranteed a place in the top four, but the last place is still up in the air. And wouldn't you know it but the final round battle for those places involve all the teams in the top five.

Here are the pertinent fixtures for Round 19:

Breakers v Melbourne – Friday, Auckland

Illawarra v Adelaide – Friday, Illawarra

Melbourne v Breakers – Sunday, Melbourne

Perth v Adelaide – Sunday, Perth

And this is where things get tricky.

If the Breakers and Adelaide stay where they are, the Breakers have the tiebreaker over the 36ers after winning the season series (2-2 but Breakers win on points diff).

That means the Breakers can afford to drop a game or even both IF Adelaide does the same.

BUT if the Breakers win both AND the 36ers win both of theirs (meaning they beat the Hawks), then NZ, Adelaide and Illawarra would be level with only room for two in the playoffs.

In that scenario, whichever team has won the most against the other two makes the playoffs.

And wouldn't you know it, that would leave the Breakers – by virtue of a 2-6 record against the 36ers (2-2) and Hawks (0-4, boo) – down in fifth and out of the post season.

If you're struggling to keep up at home, these are the possible scenarios for the weekend. Try to keep up if you can. The letter represents the team that goes through to the finals.

Can the NZ Breakers make the NBL playoffs?

Make sense? Of course not.

Put simply there are nine different scenarios from this weekend's games and five of them go the Breakers way.

I would say go out there and win but only if the 36ers don't win both of theirs.

Newshub.