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26 March 2026  6 min read

W/NBL Playoff Preview (28/29 Mar 2026) - Live Stats, streaming, schedule and more

After hard-fought regular season campaigns across the NBL, the playoffs are set to get underway, with all sides trying to keep their run alive until this season's finals in Manchester on 25/26 April 2026.

Sixteen ties take place over the coming days, with 32 teams all hoping to win and progress as the pressure starts to rise across the NBL.

Saturday 28 March 2026

D1M

3pm - Barnet Bulldogs vs Manchester Magic - LIVE STATS / LIVE STREAM

5:30pm - Myerscough Basketball Academy vs Barking Abbey - LIVE STATS

6pm - Solent Kestrels vs Birmingham City University - LIVE STATS / LIVE STREAM

7:30pm - Worcester Wolves vs London Stars - LIVE STATS

D1W

1pm - Endeavour Ipswich Basketball vs Worcester Wolves - LIVE STATS

3:45pm - Anglia Ruskin University vs Manchester Mystics - LIVE STATS

D2M

5pm - Oaklands Wolves vs Brent Bulls

6pm - Sussex Storm vs Endeavour Ipswich Basketball

D2W

2pm - Barking Abbey vs Tees Valley Mohawks

3pm - Hemel Storm vs London Cavaliers II

5pm - Milton Keynes Breakers vs Solent Kestrels

Sunday 29 March 2026

D1W

3:15pm - CoLA Southwark Pride vs Brent Bulls - LIVE STATS

3:30pm - London Cavaliers vs Loughborough Riders - LIVE STATS

D2M

2pm - Tees Valley Mohawks vs Bath Basketball

2pm - Gloucester City Kings vs West Yorkshire Hawks

D2W

3:30pm - East London Phoenix vs City of Birmingham Rockets

View all the fixtures for this weekend

 

 

 

 

 

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D1M

The D1M Playoffs begin this weekend with cross-over play taking place as the best and brightest from Pools A and B going head-to-head.

South winners Solent Kestrels are hosting North #4 side Birmingham City University, a side they dispatched 84-54 back in late-December as part of their run to the NBL National Cup.

That silverware probably establishes the Kestrels as the team to beat going into the playoffs, but how the teams stack up against each other will make for exciting viewing.

North champs Worcester have a home tie with London Stars, who went 12-6 to finish fourth in the South, and Manchester make a tough trip to Barnet as the Bulldogs look to make amends for missing out on the Pool B title with a successful playoff run.

Old rivals Myerscough and Barking make up the other quarter-final, renewing their EABL rivalry after the teams met just a few weeks ago in that competition, with 'Sco prevailing 75-64.

Whilst the rosters aren't the same, that game was played in East London, and with this weekend's meeting heading to the North West, that will give the Pool A side confidence that they can progress.

 

 

 

 

 

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D1W

Four ties await in D1W, with defending champs CoLA heading into the playoffs without the #1 seed.

That honour belong to regular-season winners London Cavaliers, who get their quest for a maiden D1W playoff title underway with a home tie against #8 seeds Loughborough Riders, who looked an unlikely playoff side a few months ago before a late-season surge.

Manchester Mystics' playoff hopes could be dealt a blow if Kizzy Spence is unable to return from injury. The free-scoring guard has been largely unavailable since pushing Manchester to this season's WNBL National Cup, and her continued absence would be a huge boost for #3 Anglia Ruskin this weekend.

CoLA get their title defence underway with a home tilt against #7 seeds Brent Bulls, and Ipswich begin the weekend, hosting Worcester Wolves in a #4 vs #5 clash with plenty of attention on it.

With a mid-season injury crisis leading to a heavy slump in form and a points deduction for two forfeited games, many think the Wolves may be in a false position given the talent at their disposal this season.

That theory will be put to the test on Saturday against an Ipswich side looking to make it back-to-back-to-back D1W Playoff Final appearances.

D2M/W

It's not just D1 that is getting playoff fever, both NBL and WNBL D2 leagues are into win or go home territory, with a collection of playoff ties to enjoy.

In D2M, all four pool winners have home ties, playing against the four runners up from across the competition.

Pool D's Sussex Storm (15-3) are at home to Pool B runners up Endeavour Ipswich Basketball (16-2), as the Suffolk side look to make it two-for-two with their sides this weekend.

Unbeaten Pool B champs Oaklands Wolves (18-0) put their perfect record on the line at home to Brent Bulls (14-3), and Bath Basketball (14-4) make a long trip to the North East to face Tees Valley Mohawks (17-1).

The quartet is rounded out by Gloucester City Kings (18-0) against Pool A's West Yorkshire Hawks (14-4), with a spotless regular season record going up against a Hawks side that made it all the way to the quarter-finals of this season's NBL National Cup.

In D2W, the format mirrors D1M with a pair of pools now crossing over.

Pool B winners Barking (15-3) get to stay at home and wait for Tees Valley (13-6) to head down from the North East, with Pool A champs Milton Keynes Breakers (18-2) enjoying their own home tie against former D1W winners Solent Kestrels (14-4).

Hemel Storm (18-2) are at home against another programme with two sides in action this weekend, London Cavaliers II (14-4), and the quarter-finals are rounded out by East London Phoenix (15-3) against former D1W outfit City of Birmingham Rockets (15-5).

With all four of Pool B's side finishing the season just two points apart, how they stack up against their Pool A rivals will be one to watch.

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