THERE is four weeks left of the 2015 SBL regular season with three teams continuing to fight over top spot, another two locked in a tussle over fourth and then four teams battling for the remaining three playoff positions.

The Orange Autos Rockingham Flames, Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers and Merriwa Tavern & City Joondalup City Wolves are all locked in a battle at present over top spot.

Then there is the Mandurah Magic and Kalamunda Eastern Suns fighting over fourth position while the Soprano Designs Cockburn Cougars, Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers, Perry Lakes Hawks and Schweigen East Perth Eagles are the teams in a tussle over sixth, seventh and eighth spot.

While the Perth Redbacks (4-14), Stirling Senators (3-14) and Lakeside Lightning (1-18) all appear out of the playoff race with four rounds of the season remaining, each are capable of causing an upset still and having on impact on what happens inside the top eight.

The defending champion Flames are in prime position to finish again as minor premiers as they chase back to back titles, particularly with reigning MVP Sami Whitcomb back to her dominant form, but they do have to keep winning to ensure that happens.

Rockingham is currently on top with a 16-1 record and given they have played one less game than the second placed Tigers and two less than the third placed Wolves, it is their top position to lose.

The Flames do have a tricky final five games, though, with just one of them at home which is against the Eagles as they hit the road against the Senators, Suns, Magic and Tigers. The final round clash with Willetton could very well end up deciding who ends up finishing in first position.

The Tigers are on a 16-2 record to remain in contention for that top spot but they have a tough run home with matches at Willetton against Mandurah and Rockingham, and then on the road to the Senators and Slammers.

That means that the Tigers are still a chance of finishing as minor premiers but they could just as easily miss a top two spot altogether if they don’t keep winning.

The Lady Wolfpack remain a chance for a first and second position as well but they will need the Flames and Tigers to slip up with the Wolves only having three games of their season remaining.

Following the bye this weekend, Joondalup takes on the Cougars at home, and then the Lightning and Eagles away. They will need to win those three to improve on being 15-4 to be a chance of leapfrogging the Tigers and/or Flames.

The Magic might have lost touch for a top three position but remain in fourth spot entering the final month with a 13-4 record and having five games remaining.

Four of those are against teams in the top eight, though, so it's a tough finish for Mandurah at home to the Redbacks, Flames and Suns, and away to the Tigers and Hawks.

The final round clash with the Eastern Suns at Mandurah could very end up deciding which teams ends up finishing in fourth position, and with home court advantage ahead of a likely quarter-final match up between the two teams.

The Suns do enter the final month in tremendous form to have given themselves a chance of a top four finish, but after playing the Senators at home, they have a tough finish at home to the Flames and Slammers, and then that away clash to the Magic.

The Cougars are currently in sixth position and will be looking to consolidate that spot, but they have no games at home left and take on the Redbacks, Wolves and Hawks away to close the regular season.

The Slammers started the season on fire but haven’t been able to recapture that form even though they remain a danger when they are at their best. South West still has five games remaining and that will tell the story of whether they play finals or not, and become a contender again or not.

The Slammers have games to go at home to the Eagles, Tigers and Redbacks, and away to the Lightning and Eastern Suns so it's tricky run home but one where they could put together some wins if they play well.

The Hawks also started the season well winning six of their first eight games but they have won just once in 10 matches since to now sit on a 7-11 record to be in eighth position, and just clinging to a spot in the playoffs with four games to come at home to the Senators, Magic and Cougars, and away to the Eagles.

The Eagles have won just three matches in the last two seasons combined but with Narelle Henry doing well as a coach, she has put together a competitive line-up that is the only team out of the top eight at present who could potentially sneak in for a playoff position.

The Eagles have been playing some strong basketball of late to improve to a 5-12 record but they don't have an easy run to end the season playing at home to the Lightning, Hawks and Wolves, and away to the Flames and Slammers.

BREAKDOWN OF THE RUN HOME FOR THE TEAMS IN CONTENTION

ORANGE AUTOS ROCKINGHAM FLAMES
Current position: 1st
Current record: 16-1

Run home: Senators (A), Eagles (H), Eastern Suns (A), Magic (A), Tigers (A)
Home games left: 1
Away games left: 4
Games left v top eight teams: 3
Games left v bottom four teams: 2

GOODLIFE HOMES WILLETTON TIGERS
Current position: 2nd
Current record: 16-2

Run home: Magic (H), Senators (A), Slammers (A), Flames (H)
Home games left: 2
Away games left: 2
Games left v top eight teams: 3
Games left v bottom four teams: 1

MERRIWA TAVERN & BISTRO JOONDALUP CITY WOLVES
Current position: 3rd
Current record: 15-4

Run home: Cougars (H), Lightning (A), Eagles (A)
Home games left: 1
Away games left: 2
Games left v top eight teams: 1
Games left v bottom four teams: 2

MANDURAH MAGIC
Current position: 4th
Current record: 13-4

Run home: Tigers (A), Redbacks (H), Flames (H), Hawks (A), Eastern Suns (H)
Home games left: 3
Away games left: 2
Games left v top eight teams: 4
Games left v bottom four teams: 1

KALAMUNDA EASTERN SUNS
Current position: 5th
Current record: 12-6

Run home: Senators (H), Flames (H), Slammers (H), Magic (A)
Home games left: 3
Away games left: 1
Games left v top eight teams: 3
Games left v bottom four teams: 1

SOPRANO DESIGNS COCKBURN COUGARS
Current position: 6th
Current record: 8-11

Run home: Redbacks (A), Wolves (A), Hawks (A)
Home games left: 0
Away games left: 3
Games left v top eight teams: 1
Games left v bottom four teams: 2

COLLIE CRANE HIRE SOUTH WEST SLAMMERS
Current position: 7th
Current record: 7-10

Run home: Lightning (A), Eagles (H), Tigers (H), Eastern Suns (A), Redbacks (H)
Home games left: 3
Away games left: 2
Games left v top eight teams: 2
Games left v bottom four teams: 3

PERRY LAKES HAWKS
Current position: 8th
Current record: 7-11

Run home: Senators (H), Eagles (A), Magic (H), Cougars (H)
Home games left: 3
Away games left: 1
Games left v top eight teams: 2
Games left v bottom four teams: 2

SCHWEIGEN EAST PERTH EAGLES
Current position: 9th
Current record: 5-12

Run home: Lightning (H), Flames (A), Slammers (A), Hawks (H), Wolves (H)
Home games left: 3
Away games left: 2
Games left v top eight teams: 4
Games left v bottom four teams: 1

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Mick Cronin