Relegation battle enters final bend

Dmark Power is the high-profile candidate caught up in the National Basketball League relegation battle this season and their fate might be decided on Sunday when they face Livingstone in their last game of the regular season.

With a 6-15 record, the five-time champions are tied with JKL Dolphins on six wins and must win their last game to stand a chance of staying up.

JKL, with a 6-14 record, are also languishing in the red zone and will need to win on Saturday against JT Jaguars to ease the pressure going into the last game.

The fact that JKL have a better head-to-head against Power hands them the advantage in case of any tie at the end of the season.

Power, meanwhile, have the head-to-head advantage against Kampala Rockets, having defeated them 72-60 and 77-57 in the first and second round, respectively.

All that, however, will come into play in case of a tie.

How to survive

Of the four teams in the relegation fight, Power is the most troubled. They can win their last game and still get relegated.

Power’s latest disappointment, an 81-77 loss to Our Savior last Saturday, left them between a rock and a hard place.

Should Timothy Odeke’s charges fail to beat Livingstone and JKL lose their last two games, the 2011 champions would go down, considering JKL have a better head-to-head between the two sides. JKL defeated Power 72-46 in the second round, having lost the first meeting 72-64.

With a better head-to-head against the Rockets, Power can stay up if it comes to the two sides. But Rockets are on seven wins and Power have to get there first, by beating Livingstone on Sunday.

Livingstone and Rockets can secure their top flight status by winning one of their last two games.

The Rockets, who face Namuwongo Blazers on Sunday, still have to play KIU Titans.

Apart from Power, Livingstone have to play defending champions City Oilers and by then, the relegation picture will be a lot clearer.

Ndejje was the first side to be relegated this season and the second could be join them this weekend.

Classification details

The Fuba competitions guidelines clearly spell out how to go about classification in cases of ties. And there is still a possibility of two or more teams tying with the same number of wins at the end of the regular season.

The guidelines state that: “If two or more teams have the same win-loss record of all games in the group, the game(s) between these two or more teams shall decide on the classification.”

Should the said teams have the same win-loss record, further criteria to be employed follows the order of; higher game points difference of the games between them, higher number of game points scored in the games between them, higher game points difference of all games in the group, higher number of game points scored in all games in the group. 

National Basketball League 

Saturday -Abja Park

Women

Magic Stormers vs. YMCA, 10am

JKL vs. K'la University, 12pm

UPDF vs. Nabisunsa, 2pm

Men

JT Jaguars vs. JKL, 4pm

Nam Blazers vs. Rockets, 6pm 

Sunday fixtures -Lugogo

Women

YMCA vs. KCCA, 10am 

KIU Rangers vs. A1 Challenge, 12pm

Men

Power vs. Livingstone, 2pm

KIU Titans vs. JKL, 4pm

City Oilers vs. Ndejje, 6pm