The festive period is here, and while Adelaide remains atop the ladder, a former number one is sliding down the rankings, enduring one of its worst stretches of form in recent memory. Meanwhile, the Sydney Kings are the hottest team in the league, and Brisbane, under new leadership, have found a new lease on life.
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With form fluctuating across the competition, pressure mounting in key markets, and finals hopes already hanging in the balance for some, the coming weeks could ultimately define how this season is remembered.
1. Adelaide 36ers
Record: 15-4
Offensive Rank: 1st
Defensive Rank: 4th
Previous Rank: 1st
Retaining top spot for a second week in a row, the Adelaide 36ers saw their winning streak come to an end, but responded quickly to get back on track.
Adelaide went down 97-93 to the Sydney Kings in one of the games of the round – a contest that could prove a sneak preview of a finals matchup.
The loss snapped the 36ers’ eight-game winning streak, a run that deserves recognition in a league where recent results have shown any team can claim a victory on any given night.
They bounced back with a hard-fought win over the Illawarra Hawks. Despite being severely depleted by injury, the Hawks pushed Adelaide all the way – a timely reminder for Mike Wells and his group to respect every opponent, regardless of how banged up they may be.
The 36ers return to action tonight to kick off the festive period against the Cairns Taipans, who are coming off a heavy loss to the Sydney Kings – a result that should serve as a warning to tread carefully. A win would be a welcome boost ahead of a home clash with the in-form Perth Wildcats, a genuine top-four contender.
If all goes to plan, it could be a very Merry Christmas for the league’s number one team.
2. South East Melbourne Phoenix
Record: 13-6
Offensive Rank: 3rd
Defensive Rank: 1st
Previous Rank: 3rd
Are the South East Melbourne Phoenix officially title favourites? A flawless round saw them claim two wins against the Perth Wildcats and the Brisbane Bullets, with Josh King transforming the side into a genuine powerhouse in just 12 months.
The Phoenix scraped home in a thrilling comeback win over Perth, edging the Wildcats 77–76 in what ranks among their best victories of the season. They then underlined their growing dominance against Brisbane, dismantling the Bullets 107–78 to showcase just how high their ceiling is.
Despite the momentum, the club made the tough call to release import Hunter Maldonado after a career-high 18-point performance, opting instead to bring in veteran guard and proven winner Ian Clark – a move that firmly cements the Phoenix as championship contenders.
Attention now turns to Round 14, where South East Melbourne face a lone matchup against the Tasmania JackJumpers. Having fallen to Tasmania in their previous meeting, the Phoenix will have revenge firmly on their minds.
3. Sydney Kings
Record: 11-7
Offensive Rank: 2nd
Defensive Rank: 2nd
Previous Rank: 4th
The Sydney Kings, led by legendary coach Brian Goorjian, are hitting form at the perfect time after a rocky start to the season. If this trajectory continues, they will be incredibly difficult to stop come finals time.
Round 13 could hardly have gone any better. The Kings knocked off competition leaders Adelaide by four points in an overtime thriller, before backing it up with a dominant 42-point demolition of the Cairns Taipans in front of a home crowd.
The impact of Matthew Dellavedova’s return cannot be measured by the stat sheet alone. His presence has transformed the team, freeing up Kendric Davis, who has rediscovered his best basketball.
Sydney now turns its attention to a Christmas Day showdown with the Illawarra Hawks – a growing tradition that has firmly placed the NBL on the radar of sports-mad fans. Should the Kings knock off the reigning champions, they will carry enormous confidence into their next matchup against a struggling Brisbane Bullets side – a dangerous prospect for any opponent.
Things are looking very promising for Sydney, and they could find themselves sitting atop the ladder by New Year’s Eve.
4. Melbourne United
Record: 14-7
Offensive Rank: 4th
Defensive Rank: 3rd
Previous Rank: 2nd
It has been night and day for Melbourne United. After starting the season 9-0, they have now slipped into a concerning form slump, managing just one win from their past five outings.
The post-FIBA break period has been particularly unkind to Dean Vickerman’s squad. Injuries are mounting, with Shea Ili sidelined for several weeks due to a hamstring issue, while Chris Goulding has been battling illness. United are clearly in need of some rest and recovery as the calendar turns toward the new year.
They did manage to split their round, recording a dominant 97-75 win over the Illawarra Hawks, before following it up with a disappointing 19-point home loss to the Tasmania JackJumpers in front of a packed crowd.
Bruised, battered and short on confidence, Melbourne United remain one of the most dangerous teams on any given night. They play just one game in Round 14 against the Brisbane Bullets – a matchup that could prove tricky, but one that shapes as a must-win for the back-to-back runners-up.
5. Perth Wildcats
Record: 11-9
Offensive Rank: 5th
Defensive Rank: 5th
Previous Rank: 5th
The Perth Wildcats are beginning to develop an unfortunate reputation for surrendering fourth-quarter leads – a flaw that, if corrected, could easily have them sitting inside the top two on the ladder.
That said, don’t let it overshadow their ability to deliver big wins. Perth showed exactly that against the Tasmania JackJumpers at MyState Bank Arena, claiming a 94–85 victory on the back of a monster performance from Kristian Doolittle. The forward poured in 30 points and earned glowing praise from JackJumpers coach Scott Roth, who labelled him the best player in the league.
There is still no official update on Dylan Windler after he twisted his ankle in the previous game, but early indications suggest he could be sidelined for several weeks – a major blow with the Wildcats set to face the Adelaide 36ers in their lone game of the upcoming round.
With Windler likely unavailable, can Doolittle lead Perth to a statement win in front of a loud and intimidating 36ers crowd?
6. Tasmania JackJumpers
Record: 9-11
Offensive Rank: 6th
Defensive Rank: 7th
Previous Rank: 6th
Are the JackJumpers beginning to find their new identity? It may have taken half a season, but Scott Roth has this roster clicking at the right time, and they now look destined for a top-six finish – a position that could see them labelled a dark horse come finals time.
A home loss to Perth sparked a response, with Tasmania bouncing back in emphatic fashion by dismantling Melbourne United by 19 points on the road – a significant scalp against one of the league’s heavyweights.
Round 14 presents new challenges, but the positives are clear: both games will be played at home. The New Zealand Breakers travel south to face the JackJumpers, and based on what we saw against United, Tasmania will back itself to send them home empty-handed.
Their second test offers the perfect opportunity to remind the league why they were crowned champions in NBL24.
The JackJumpers take on the South East Melbourne Phoenix – a team they have split the season series with at 1–1 and most recently defeated two weeks ago.
Confidence is high, and in front of a home crowd, a win would provide valuable momentum heading into 2026.
7. Illawarra Hawks
Record: 6-12
Offensive Rank: 8th
Defensive Rank: 8th
Previous Rank: 8th
This is where things get tricky for the Illawarra Hawks. Despite going 0–2 in Round 13, they showed genuine fight in their narrow six-point loss to Adelaide, even without key contributions from Tyler Harvey and JaVale McGee.
The round began poorly with a 22-point loss to Melbourne United in a finals rematch. That game also saw McGee suffer an ill-timed eye injury, which ruled him out of the following matchup. However, the DNA that carried the Hawks to the NBL25 championship was most evident against the 36ers.
Playing with their backs against the wall and nothing to lose, Illawarra looked at their most dangerous. Yes, they lost, but head coach Justin Tatum will take plenty of positives from the performance.
Attention now turns to a Christmas Day clash with the Sydney Kings – a matchup the Hawks have won in each of their past two meetings. If they can replicate the fight and intensity shown against Adelaide, confidence will be high.
United face Jack Jumpers in open air | 00:52
8. New Zealand Breakers
Record: 7-13
Offensive Rank: 7th
Defensive Rank: 6th
Previous Rank: 7th
Alarm bells are ringing for the New Zealand Breakers after a winless Round 13 against two of the league’s lower-ranked sides in Brisbane and Cairns – an far-from-ideal lead-in to the Christmas period for head coach Petteri Koponen.
Following a solid stretch of wins, the Breakers have now dropped their past three games, and victories are needed more than ever as the season moves deeper into its second half. Losses to Cairns and Brisbane, with respect to their campaigns, do little to inspire confidence in championship aspirations.
Led by Parker Jackson-Cartwright, the Breakers are in urgent need of greater production from their bench and from imports Rob Baker II and Izaiah Brockington. While both have been consistent, their output has yet to match the impact of rival imports around the league.
With minimal time to train and recover before flying to Tasmania, the task of claiming a Boxing Day win looms as a significant challenge. However, should they manage it, the result could inject some much-needed life back into their season.
9. Brisbane Bullets
Record: 6-14
Offensive Rank: 9th
Defensive Rank: 9th
Previous Rank: 10th
A new era has begun for the Brisbane Bullets, who have parted ways with Stu Lash and appointed Darryl McDonald as interim head coach. McDonald has already uncovered what appears to be some untapped potential within the roster.
The transition, however, started roughly. The South East Melbourne Phoenix handed Brisbane a 29-point loss – a familiar result that fans have endured far too often this season.
When the New Zealand Breakers arrived, the Bullets looked like a completely different team. A renewed energy and enthusiasm was evident on the bench, translating into a much-needed 99–85 victory and snapping an eight-game losing streak through a strong all-round team performance.
While their season is effectively over, there are positives to take from the remainder of the campaign as the club assesses what needs fixing moving forward. Unfortunately, it appears it has taken a largely wasted season for those answers to become clear.
For the fans, the hope now is that Brisbane can finish the year with a few more home wins to build some optimism for what lies ahead.
10. Cairns Taipans
Record: 5-14
Offensive Rank: 10th
Defensive Rank: 10th
Previous Rank: 9th
After one of the greatest offensive performances by a Taipan – Jack McVeigh’s 47-point outburst – Cairns experienced a brutal reality check, suffering one of their worst losses in recent memory in a 119–77 defeat to the Sydney Kings.
It was a round defined by contrasting emotions, but the broader arc of the Taipans’ season has been deeply disappointing. They are close to full health and possess a roster talented enough to register more wins as the calendar turns to the new year, yet results have failed to follow.
In many ways, this team was more competitive last season with a less stacked – and cheaper – roster. That points to underlying issues beyond pure talent, potentially at an internal or management level, which will need addressing in the off-season.
The Taipans have just one game this round: a Christmas Eve clash against the Adelaide 36ers and Bryce Cotton, who has historically tormented Cairns.
It shapes as another disappointing campaign, but despite their struggles, the Taipans remain an entertaining team to watch.
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