With the Illawarra Hawks winning the second semi-final series tonight in Adelaide, they will go on to take on the Perth Wildcats in the five-match grand final series which starts on Sunday night.
For the first time this decade, the grand final series has been returned to its five-game format, with the home-away-home-away-home model to be used.
Because the Wildcats finished higher on the table, they will have home court advantage for the second year in a row, after they won the championship against the New Zealand Breakers last year.
Game 1: Sunday, February 26 (7pm AEDT – 4pm local) at Perth Arena
Game 2: Wednesday, March 1 (7:30pm AEDT) at WIN Entertainment Centre
Game 3: Sunday, March 5 (3pm AEDT – 12pm local) at Perth Arena
Game 4*: Friday, March 10 (7:30pm AEDT) at WIN Entertainment Centre
Game 5*: Sunday, March 12 (7pm AEDT – 4pm local) at Perth Arena
The Wildcats came from third place on the table to qualify for the grand final, getting the better of the Cairns Taipans in a straight sets demoltion.
The Hawks, on the other hand had to do things the hard way as they came from behind to beat the Adelaide 36ers in three games. After losing Game 1 by a heavy margin on the road, they came back to win a pair of nail-biters, finishing it off in Adelaide.
The grand final shapes as a battle of the second best offensive team in the competition against the best defensive team, but given the Hawks have knocked over the 36ers they have proven their offence to be on a level pegging with the best anyway.
While the Wildcats were inconsistent throughout the season, they are the most successful club in NBL history and will be looking to go back-to-back.
The grand final series also sees the first Wednesday night game of the season, while the Wildcats will host all three of their matches on Sunday.
Perth Wildcats star Bryce Cotton can lay claim to being the second-most decorated player in NBL history behind Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze after…
Illawarra have completed one of the more remarkable comebacks in Australian sport in recent times by flying into the NBL playoffs when the club…
NBL referees boss Scott Butler has conceded officials "made a mistake" to deny Melbourne United a potential match-winning free throw, even though the decision…
News from on and off court around the NBL.
The Perth Wildcats have pinched a finals berth by 0.06 of a percentage point after finishing a dramatic last day of the NBL regulation…
The Perth Wildcats will miss the NBL finals for the first time since 1986 after falling at home to South East Melbourne in overtime,…
