THE Rockingham Flames battle two teams ahead of them in Week 18 of the Men's SBL and wins will see them close in a top four position while the Cockburn Cougars need to hold off two desperate visiting teams at home to remain on top ahead of the on-fire Joondalup Wolves.

The Flames are eyeing off a top four position and wins on the road to the Stirling Senators and at home to the Willetton Tigers will put them in a good spot, but it won't be easy with both teams currently ahead of them in the standings.

The Cougars and Wolves continue to fight over top spot with Cockburn hosting the Hawks and Giants this weekend with both trying to stay a chance of breaking into the top eight.

The Redbacks also have two chances against teams outside the top eight in the Giants and Slammers to return to the winner's list and consolidate their playoff spot. That's just a snapshot of what awaits in the 10 matches over the three days.

The crucial weekend begins on Friday night with two games with plenty at stake in terms of the playoffs with the Lapa Brazilian BBQ Restaurant Cockburn Cougars taking on the Perry Lakes Hawks and the Bethanie Stirling Senators hosting the Nags Head Tavern & Bistro Rockingham Flames.

The other two Friday night matches feature the Lakeside Lightning taking on the Print Sync South West Slammers and the Kalamunda Eastern Suns playing the Mandurah Magic.

Saturday night begins with the S&K Electrical Contracting Geraldton Buccaneers playing the Vorian Agency East Perth Eagles and the Lapa Brazilian BBQ Restaurant Cockburn Cougars hosting the Silver Lake Resources Goldfields Giants.

The Print Sync South West Slammers also play the Texture WA Perth Redbacks, the Merriwa Tavern & Bistro Joondalup City Wolves take on the Kalamunda Eastern Suns and the Nags Head Tavern & Bistro Rockingham Flames face the Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers.

Future looks bright for Slammers despite challenging 2016 
Much more than Marcus Goode behind Cougars rise 
Championship would mean world for Ellis and Senators 

Lightning break losing run with two wins in 24 hours, now look for third straight
Week 17 Men's SBL Wrap 

On Friday night, the Senators host the Flames at Warwick Stadium with both teams still in the hunt for a top four position. Stirling enters the clash in fifth spot at 15-8 having lost its last two following a six-game winning run while Rockingham is 13-9 coming off a road win over the Giants.

A win for the Senators and they are a good chance of finishing top four and a loss would just about take the Flames out of the running. But a Rockingham win and it's a wide open race still.

The Eastern Suns host the Magic at Ray Owen Recreation Centre and while neither team has finals to play for, they will want to begin to end the season on a high.

The Suns are coming off a good win on the road over the Slammers last Saturday night while the Magic have lost their last three all to playoff teams the Wolves, Eagles and Redbacks since a buzzer-beating win over the Lightning. The loser would also firm in wooden spoon contention for 2016.

The Lightning and Slammers battle is another one featuring two teams without a chance at playoffs but Lakeside broke its 13-game losing run last weekend with wins over the Eastern Suns and Redbacks.

As a result, they will be confident of making it three straight with the Slammers trying to stop a three-game losing run for their seventh win of 2016 with Tre Nichols to return after surgery on a broken nose but fellow import Royal Crouch will still miss with a hamstring injury.

Lastly on Friday night, the Cougars take on the Hawks at Wally Hagan Stadium with Perry Lakes needing a win to be any hope of breaking back into the top eight this weekend.

The Hawks did snap their losing slide with a 22-point win over the Slammers a fortnight ago, but they lost again to the Buccs on the road last weekend to be a game behind the eighth placed Eagles.

Beating the Cougars will be no easy task but the Hawks will look for Brian Carlwell and Bryton Hobbs to put together their best performance as a duo for the season with Carlwell's role in trying to nullify the Cougars' Marcus Goode particularly crucial.

The Cougars have now won 10 straight to remain a game clear of the Wolves on top of the standings even with Gavin Field, Sheldon McIntyre and Daniel Thomas recently sidelined.

They are all a chance of returning this weekend as Cockburn hosts a desperate Hawks on Friday and an equally determined Giants on Saturday.

Goldfields could still be an outside playoff hope if it goes on a winning run currently sitting 7-15 in 10th spot. Cougars coach Matt Parsons is taking nothing for granted against the Hawks and Giants knowing how desperate to win they will be.

"These are two teams who are going to come into our stadium and they're going to leave everything that they've got on that floor," Parsons said.

"A desperate basketball team is dangerous for us but it poses a good challenge because in a couple of weeks after the finals start and every team that comes here is playing with that same intensity.

"It's good to keep us on our toes and it keeps us prepared, and it means that if we do our homework and preparation then we'll be a good chance to execute those wins. But it will take us to be switched on and engaged, and understanding they are coming here as desperate teams."

Saturday night is littered with crucial matches including the Buccaneers hosting the Eagles at Active West Stadium. The Buccs moved to fourth spot with a win over the Hawks last Saturday and they can stay in the top four with a win but the Eagles need a win also to remain in the top eight.

The Flames and Tigers is another clash of teams not only in the playoffs but battling for top four positions. Willetton lost to Joondalup last Friday by 23 points to give up its gap in third spot currently sitting 15-7 and needing to win on Saturday or risk falling out of the top four.

Rockingham will be coming off a tough Friday clash with the Senators and will either be looking to continue their winning form from that to move into the top four, or to quickly bounce back.

The Wolves host the Eastern Suns at Joondalup Basketball Stadium and Kalamunda will do well to avoid another blowout with Joondalup having won its last five games by an average of 40 points with the defending champions remaining just one game behind the top of the table Cougars.

The Slammers also host the Redbacks at Eaton Recreation Centre with South West coming off playing the Lightning on Friday, while Perth will be looking to respond to a tough loss to the Lightning last Saturday to consolidate their playoff position.

The Redbacks are a chance of regaining captain Joel Wagner while Michael Vigor remains sidelined. Slammers coach Michael Van Lit knows that with his developing group that is battling injuries to their imports that they can't afford to look more than a game ahead at a time.

"We just have to take it one game at a time at this stage of the year and that's all we can do with the injuries we've had," Van Lit said.

"We honestly do need to take it one game at a time and not get ahead of ourselves. If we get ahead of ourselves we will lose focus on the games that we need to look after."

Lastly on Sunday afternoon, the Texture WA Perth Redbacks take on the Silver Lake Resources Goldfields Giants at Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre.

Both teams will be coming off games on Saturday night with Perth a chance to move further clear of eighth while Goldfields could still be fighting to stay in playoff contention.

WEEK 18 MEN'S SBL FIXTURES
FRIDAY
Lakeside Lightning v Print Sync South West Slammers, Lakeside Recreation Centre 8.30pm
Kalamunda Eastern Suns v Mandurah Magic, Ray Owen Recreation Centre 8.30pm
Lapa Brazilian BBQ Restaurant Cockburn Cougars v Perry Lakes Hawks, Wally Hagan Stadium 8.30pm
Bethanie Stirling Senators v Nags Head Tavern & Bistro Rockingham Flames, Warwick Stadium 8.30pm

SATURDAY
S&K Electrical Contracting Geraldton Buccaneers v Vorian Agency East Perth Eagles, Active West Stadium 7.30pm
Lapa Brazilian BBQ Restaurant Cockburn Cougars v Silver Lake Resources Goldfields Giants, Wally Hagan Stadium 7.30pm
Print Sync South West Slammers v Texture WA Perth Redbacks, Eaton Recreation Centre 8pm
Nags Head Tavern & Bistro Rockingham Flames v Goodlife Homes Willetton Tigers, Mike Barnett Sports Complex 8.30pm

SUNDAY
Texture WA Perth Redbacks v Silver Lake Resources Goldfields Giants, Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre 12pm

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Mick Cronin