If 18 games in 18 days wasn’t already a tight squeeze, what’s to be made of 10 games in three days at Pulman Arena from today (4 Dec) through to Sunday (6 Dec)?
The Sal’s NBL 18IN18 playoffs kick off today with its first semi-final at 7pm and coinciding with the finals weekend is the league’s inaugural D-League.
The NBL's D-League is in its preliminary building stages and is viewed as the ideal 'steppingstone' through to the National League, both for players and teams. Their games – six round robin and a final (top two teams after the round robin) - will feature prior to both 18IN18 semi-finals and Grand Final.
The eight teams competing across the three days of action in the 18IN18 is the Platinum Homes Harbour Breeze, Firebrand Otago Gold Rush, Waikato Wizards and Kāpura Capital Swish. The D-League is comprised of the Northland Phoenix, Rotorua Lady Geysers, Platinum Homes Taranaki Thunder and Tauranga City Coasters.
Games between the Coasters and Geysers (3pm) then the Phoenix and Thunder (5pm) will act as the lead into semi-final number one in the 18IN18 between the Breeze and Swish, tipping off at 7:30pm.
Sal’s NBL Finals Weekend schedule
Friday December 4
3:00pm Tauranga City Coasters vs Rotorua Lady Geysers
5:00pm Northland Phoenix vs Taranaki Thunder
7:30pm Harbour Breeze v Capital Swish
Saturday December 5
8:00am Taranaki Thunder vs Tauranga City Coasters
10:00am Rotorua Lady Geysers vs Northland Phoenix
3:00pm Northland Phoenix vs Tauranga City Coasters
5:00pm Taranaki Thunder vs Rotorua Lady Geysers
7:30pm Otago Gold Rush v Waikato Wizards
Sunday December 6
2:30pm D-League Grand Final (1 vs 2)
5:00pm 18IN18 Grand Final
