THE weekend is nearly here, which means preparations for the upcoming round of the National Basketball League (NBL) will be just about complete. Round 15 has a number of excellent matchups on the schedule, and with finals just around the corner, some of these contests will certainly shape the top-four heading into the postseason. There are a number of blockbuster clashes on the cards, and kicking off things tonight is arguably the biggest of them all.

Round 15 could not start any better, with two of the competition’s heavyweights set to lock horns, as Melbourne United host the Perth Wildcats at John Cain Arena on Thursday night, in a rematch of last year’s grand final.

United have been the best side of the competition after 14 rounds of action, and look well on their way to consecutive titles at the conclusion of the 2021/22 season. Not only does their list hold talents such as Jo Lual Acuil, Chris Goulding and Matthew Dellavedova, but they play the right way, finding good looks and hustling for the loose ball. They will enter this matchup favoured, but this is shaping up to be a finals preview given the strength of the Wildcats too. Dellavedova is one of the frontrunners for the Defensive Player of the Year award, but he will have his work cut out for him against the reigning MVP.

The Wildcats may have had a quiet period for a bit there, but they look back to their best of late. This was emphasised in Round 14, where they claimed a dominant win over the 36ers, who have been known to take it up to the best sides. The big three of Bryce Cotton, Victor Law and Todd Blanchfield all fired in the win, and if they can do so again this week, then they might take down the ladder-leaders. Cotton in particular will play a crucial role, as he will have to shake the close attention of Dellavedova, but if he can still get off the hook then the Wildcats will take some stopping.

Things continue 24 hours later, when the Tasmania JackJumpers travel north to Queensland to take on the Cairns Taipans at Carins Convention Centre on Friday night.

The Taipans delivered a brave performance in their contest against the in-form Sydney Kings last round, and while they weren’t able to walk away with the win, their endeavour could not be questioned. They face a slightly more achievable task against the JackJumpers, but they will need to bring more of what we saw last week. Veteran guard Scott Machado produced his best performance of the 2021/22 season (albeit injury means there is a small sample size), and if he can keep this rolling then they might finally get the win.

The JackJumpers did enough against the Breakers last weekend, edging home to a tense four-point victory on Saturday evening. While it wasn’t their most convincing win of the season, it was still a win. They are still in the hunt for a spot in the top-four, but must not put a foot wrong from here. However, we know how ruthless their defence can be, so this may cause serious issues for the Taipans. On the offensive end, they will be looking to get the ball in the hands of Josh Adams, as he has shown in the past to break a game open with his lights-out shooting.

Next up on the schedule is a clash between the Brisbane Bullets and the Perth Wildcats, which will take place at Nissan Arena on Saturday evening. This will be Perth’s second match of the round.

The Bullets broke even from their two matches in Round 14, claiming one win and one loss from two outings. They showed a bit against the reigning champions, but still fell short of claiming the upset win, before making amends a few days later with a blowout win over the Breakers. Facing another tough task this weekend in the Wildcats, expect the Bullets to get the ball in the hands of Lamar Patterson and Robert Franks, as the duo have been excellent all year.

Despite it being their home game, the New Zealand Breakers will take on the Adelaide 36ers at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday night.

The difficult circumstances of the Breakers’ 2021/22 campaign came to the forefront in Round 14, with the side suffering a pair of tough losses on the road. With finals ruled out, the season’s conclusion cannot come fast enough for this team, but they have an opportunity here to take advantage of the impressive young talent on their list and get some momentum going into next season. Expect the side to involve the duo of Ousmane Dieng and Hugo Besson, given the two will likely be heading off to the NBA in the coming months.

The 36ers also endured a tough trot last round, suffering a pair of losses to go winless for the weekend. They pushed the Phoenix to the limit on Friday night, but fell seven points short. Another loss was sustained at the hands of the Wildcats a few days later, this time by a heftier margin. The matchup against the Breakers presents an opportunity for the 36ers to get back on track, especially if Daniel Johnson can keep his form rolling.

Kicking off a Sunday triple-header is a clash between two top-four hopefuls, as the Illawarra Hawks travel across the Bass Strait to take on the Tasmania JackJumpers at MyState Bank Arena. This will be Tasmania’s second outing of the round.

The Hawks surprised everyone in Round 14 by taking down the South East Melbourne Phoenix, and keep themselves in the hunt for a place in the finals in the coming weeks. After defensive issues had made them a beatable opponent over recent weeks, Illawarra produced a statement performance on the eve of the postseason, so it could not have come at a better time. They will come into this clash as the favoured side, but will need to keep up their improved defensive work.

In another hotly anticipated clash, Melbourne basketball fans will be treated to another instalment of the Throwdown series, as the SEM Phoenix and Melbourne United lock horns at John Cain Arena on Sunday afternoon. This will be United’s second game of Round 15.

The Phoenix had been on a little roll heading into Round 14, but found themselves bested by a hungrier Hawks side to the tune of six points. It was not an ideal scenario for the South-East Melbourne based side, who were vying for top spot in the standings. Instead, they find themselves a couple of wins behind their opponents in this clash. A win here would certainly do wonders in fixing the damage they caused themselves last week. Star forward Mitch Creek will likely have a say on the result of this game, given his offensive arsenal.

The penultimate game of the round will see the Sydney Kings head north to take on the Cairns Taipans at Cairns Convention Centre on Sunday afternoon. This will be Carins’ second clash of the round.

The Kings did enough to get the job done against the Taipans last time around, but were pushed to the closing stages of the game. They face the same opponent again in Round 15, and will be much more cautious this time around. Last week’s hero was Xavier Cooks, so it will be interesting if the Kings look to use him as much again, or get the talents of Jaylen Adams invovled more.

The final match of the penultimate round will see the Perth Wildcats head south to take on the New Zealand Breakers at MyState Bank Arena on Monday night. This will be both side’s second clash of the round.