The 2025 regular season of the NBL has come to a close. Tonight at 9:30pm (AEDT), the first match of the finals series will be played between the Perth Wildcats and the South East Melbourne Phoenix. With a FIBA break for international qualifying set between 18 and 25 February, the finals will continue through to the end of March.
Wildcats v Phoenix
The Wildcats will head into tonight’s seeding qualifier as the favourites, having won five of their past six games against the Phoenix. The Wildcats finished the regular season in third, having won 18 of 29 games, and the Phoenix finished fourth with 16 wins.
The Wildcats' biggest offensive weapon is Bryce Cotton. The American has averaged 36.5 points in his last four games and was named the 2025 NBL MVP, the fifth time he has won the award. The Phoenix will look to exploit their own attackers in Matt Hurt and Nathan Sobey.
How does the finals series work?
The winner of the match between third and fourth place will book a place in the semi-final series against Melbourne United. The loser will head to a sudden-death match against the winner of the ‘Play In Qualifier’ between the Sydney Kings and Adelaide 36ers on Thursday.
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The winner of that match will book their place in the other semi-final series against the Illawarra Hawks. The semi-finals will be a best-of-three-match series and the Championship Series will be a best-of-five.
Favourites
The Illawarra Hawks (1st) and Melbourne United (2nd) were the top two finishing teams in the competition. As a result, they both earned places in the semi-finals automatically and will be the respective favourites for both match-ups when their opponent is determined.
How to watch
You can watch tonight’s NBL Finals match on Kayo or ESPN via Foxtel.
