Kings' road to the post-season explained

Heading into the final round of the season, the Sydney Kings are yet to cement their spot in the post-season.

But that can all change this weekend, during the competition's exciting round 20.

With plenty of variations, let's outline how the Hoops Capital side can qualify for the NBL24 Play-In series.

First and foremost, the two-time reigning champions have to take care of business and defeat South East Melbourne at John Cain Arena from 5.30pm AEDT on Saturday.

THE NBL24 FINALS FORMAT EXPLAINED

A victory would move the purple and gold onto 13 wins - the amount both fourth-placed Illawarra and fifth-placed Brisbane currently sit on and one ahead of the Breakers.

If that triumph comes to fruition, let's take a look at the key fixtures that could impact the Hoops Capital club and each potential scenario.

- Illawarra: games vs Perth (WIN Entertainment Centre) and Melbourne United (John Cain Arena)

The Hawks currently sit in fourth with 13 wins but losses to the competition's two top sides would put them in danger of missing the post-season if Sydney, Brisbane and New Zealand all record big wins and secure a stronger percentage than Justin Tatum's troops.

A win by Illawarra in either of their two round 20 fixtures would cement their finals spot, with two victories locking in fourth spot.

- New Zealand vs Brisbane at Spark Arena

Brisbane wins and they lock in a finals spot, moving on to 14 wins.

But if Brisbane loses, they fall to seventh on percentage and will rely on Adelaide defeating New Zealand by a large margin. If New Zealand win, they move up to 13 wins and leapfrog Brisbane on the ladder.

- Adelaide vs New Zealand at Adelaide Entertainment Centre

If New Zealand loses Friday's showdown with Brisbane, this becomes a must-win for the Breakers, otherwise, they will miss out on the post-season.

TO TRY AND FIGURE THE FINAL PLACINGS YOURSELF, CHECK OUT THE NBL'S LADDER PREDICTOR

One thing to keep in mind with all of this, as it is so close, is the percentage of each side and the role it could play.

As it stands, with Melbourne United, Perth and Tasmania already locked into the Playoffs, the four percentages of note are Illawarra (100.77), Brisbane (97.53), New Zealand (100.35) and Sydney (100.59) - highlighting the importance of winning and winning by a big margin.

Speaking of the importance of the percentages, there is a world where the Kings lose to South East Melbourne and New Zealand loses both their matches in round 20 - by a big enough margin - that Mahmoud Abdelfattah's troops could overtake the Breakers into sixth.

Essentially, those aforementioned teams (Illawarra, Brisbane, New Zealand and Sydney) can all finish anywhere from fourth and seventh this weekend.