THE teams in the playoffs for the 2015 men's SBL season are now set but positioning inside that top eight is still be sorted and there are two final round matches pitting teams in the finals up against one another.

The Perry Lakes Hawks and Cockburn Cougars, and Willetton Tigers and Rockingham Flames both do battle on Friday and Saturday night respectively in two matches featuring playoff bound teams.

And then the Mandurah Magic, Stirling Senators, Perth Redbacks, Lakeside Lightning, East Perth Eagles and Kalamunda Eastern Suns are all out of contention for the playoffs but looking to end their 2015 season on a high.

The only game on Friday night features two teams gearing up for the playoffs with the Perry Lakes Hawks playing the Soprano Designs Cockburn Cougars at Bendat Basketball Centre with tip-off at 8.30pm.

There are then six matches on Saturday night but only one of them features two teams getting ready for the playoffs and that sees the Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers playing the Nags Head Tavern & Bistro Rockingham Flames at Willetton Basketball Stadium.

Also on Saturday night, the S & K Electrical Geraldton Buccaneers play the Bethanie Stirling Senators at Active West Stadium and the Silver Lake Resources Goldfields Giants take on the Lakeside Lightning at Neils Hansen Basketball Stadium.

The Mandurah Magic will also play the Kalamunda Eastern Suns at Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre and the Vorian Agency East Perth Eagles take on the Merriwa Tavern & Bistro Joondalup City Wolves at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre.

Starting on Friday night, the Hawks take on the Cougars in a clash featuring two teams gearing up for the playoffs beginning next weekend.

The Hawks have now won five straight matches with the return of Bryton Hobbs from injury sparking their tremendous run that has seen them improve from struggling at 7-13 to be all but out of contention, to now sitting at 12-13 and guaranteed of making the playoffs.

Perry Lakes will now be looking to enter the playoffs on a six-game winning run but Friday's opponents Cockburn have done an outstanding job to be in fourth position despite being written off by many coming into 2015.

The Cougars now enter the clash with the Hawks on Friday with a 16-9 record and are gearing up to take on the Rockingham Flames in the quarter finals of the playoffs, but they would like to enter that battle with winning form and to improve on their 5-7 road record for the season.

It was way back in Week 2 of the 2015 when the Hawks and Cougars last played, and if that match was any indication then Friday night's battle should be a tremendous one. Back on that Friday night, it was the Cougars who ended up beating the Hawks 107-101 at Wally Hagan Stadium.

Then on Saturday night, the Tigers and Flames do battle in the only match of the evening that features two teams heading for the playoffs next week.

Willetton might have won just five of its last 15 games, but the Tigers strong start to the season meant that their 34-point win over the Slammers last Friday night was enough to guarantee a return to the playoffs under new coach Alan Black.

The Tigers now come into the clash with the Flames in sixth position with a 13-12 record and a potential quarter-final match up with the third placed Slammers does appear more appealing than taking on the second placed Geraldton Buccaneers, so they need to win on Saturday night.

The Flames, meanwhile, have now won five of their last six games to have locked away a quarter-final match up with the Cockburn Cougars in the battle of fourth against fifth.

It was back in Week 10 when Willetton and Rockingham met earlier this season and on that occasion it was the Flames who prevailed 96-82 over the Tigers at Mike Barnett Sports Complex.

The Buccaneers will finish in second position no matter the result at home to the Senators on Saturday night, but with the Buccs have won just four of their last eight matches so will want to find some form ahead of the playoffs.

The Senators might not be in the mix for the playoffs, but with Cody Ellis leading the way they have been playing some tremendous basketball of late and will want to finish their season with a third straight victory and to improve on their 10-15 record.

The two teams played out a tremendous contest when they met earlier in the season in Week 10 at Warwick Leisure Centre and on that occasion it was the Buccaneers who beat the Senators 120-113.

The Giants will gear up for their return to the playoffs for the first time in three years at home to the Lightning with Goldfields finishing the season in outstanding form, while Lakeside has taken a slide to fall out of playoff calculations.

It was back in Week 12 when the teams last met and that night saw the Lightning come away with a thumping 129-95 win over the Giants at Lakeside Recreation Centre.

However, the fortunes of both teams have turned markedly since then with the Giants now guaranteed of playing in the playoffs having won eight of their last 10 matches, while the Lightning are out of contention having lost three of the last 10 games.

The Slammers take on the Redbacks in another battle featuring a team gearing up for the playoffs and another who is playing their last game for 2015.

South West put up some massive numbers with 148 points in a big win over the Eastern Suns last Saturday night, but they are still trying to find their feet without playing-coach Ty Harrelson.

However, the Slammers are guaranteed of finishing third entering the clash with the Redbacks with a 17-8 record and having won three of their last four games.

The Redbacks will be disappointed to not be getting ready for the playoffs with a 9-16 record, but with Ray Turner and Raphiael Putney leading the way, they have the talent to still finish their season on a high.

While the Slammers are heading for the playoffs and the Redbacks aren’t, it was Perth who won the meeting earlier in the season between the two teams scoring a 118-109 victory at Curtin Stadium back in Week 10.

The Magic play the Suns in the last match of 2015 for both and Mandurah will be especially disappointed to not be taking part in the playoffs having now lost its last seven matches to have gone from competing for a top four spot, to now be out of contention altogether at 11-14.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Suns haven’t been in contention all season long and are now on a 14-game losing streak with a 2-23 record heading into their last match of the season.

The Magic and Suns opened the season back on a Friday night at Ray Owen Sports Centre with Mandurah scoring a hard fought 106-98 victory on that occasion, but now 20 weeks later and neither side is getting ready to take part in the playoffs of 2015.

The defending champion Eagles then finish their 2015 season that has never got going by trying to take it up to the minor premier Wolves.

East Perth has now lost its last four matches to have slipped to a 7-18 record while Joondalup is guaranteed of finishing on top of the men's standings at 22-3 and having won six matches on the trot.

The Wolves scored a commanding 107-76 victory over the Eagles when they met earlier this season back in Week 10 at Joondalup Basketball Stadium.

WEEK 20 MEN'S SBL FIXTURES
FRIDAY
Perry Lakes Hawks v Soprano Designs Cockburn Cougars, Bendat Basketball Centre 8.30pm

SATURDAY
S & K Electrical Geraldton Buccaneers v Bethanie Stirling Senators, Active West Stadium 7.30pm
Silver Lake Resources Goldfields Giants v Lakeside Lightning, Neils Hansen Basketball Stadium 7.30pm
Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers v Perth Redbacks, Eaton Recreation Centre 8pm
Mandurah Magic v Kalamunda Eastern Suns, Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre 8pm
Vorian Agency East Perth Eagles v Merriwa Tavern & Bistro Joondalup City Wolves, Morley Sport and Recreation Centre 8pm
Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers v Nags Head Tavern & Bistro Rockingham Flames, Willetton Basketball Stadium 8pm

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Serene-Elise Photography