That's particularly true at the foot of the standings, with two relegation candidates, Nottingham Hoods and Bradford Dragons, locking horns on Saturday night.
Hemel's title quest continues against top four hopefuls Loughborough, whilst the KitKing Trophy Final between Reading and Milton Keynes also takes place this weekend.
We take a look at all the weekend's match-ups below, with links to live stats at the bottom of the page.
Saturday's biggest game sees Nottingham Hoods host Bradford Dragons in a game that could define the season for both sides.
Whilst the loser is by no means dead and buried, defeat would be a big setback, especially considering it would result in a boost for a rival with just a few games to go.
Nottingham currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker between the sides, should they finish tied come the end of the regular season.
That boost is thanks to an 85-84 OT win in West Yorkshire back in October, so there are two points, as well as tiebreakers, at stake this weekend.
Despite their current standing this season, both teams head into this weekend with some reasonable form behind them.
All of Bradford's five wins have come in the second half of the campaign, and despite looking odds on to finish bottom at the mid-season break, the Dragons have roared back impressively over the last few months.
The Hoods have also managed to win two of their last three, including a 76-72 victory against much-fancied Milton Keynes last Sunday.
A 13-point, 20-rebound double-double from Greg Skoric against the Breakers pushed the Nottingham forward into the latest D1M Team of the Week, and his form will be important this weekend alongside the continued production from guard John Murdock Jr (18.9PPG, 6.3APG).
Murdock's battle with D1M's second-highest scorer Justin Williams (21.6PPG) is sure to be a big one, with fellow guards Kofi Josephs (17.2PPG) and Jordan Whelan (14.1PPG) providing additional fire power.
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The weekend begins in the North East, where 10th-place Newcastle Knights (7-12) continue to walk the fine line between the playoffs above and the relegation fight below.
One win off eighth, but just a pair of wins away from the bottom two, the Knights will be hoping to extend the four-game losing streak of Bristol Hurricanes (9-11) so they can look up, instead of down, during the next few weeks.
Leaders Hemel Storm (17-2) are just a few victories away from sealing top spot and the regular-season title. Loughborough Riders (11-9) visit the Storm Dome this weekend looking to keep pace for a shot at the top four, though Milton Keynes and Essex are also in contention for that spot.
City of Birmingham Rockets (8-13) enjoyed a Team of the Week performance from Orlan Jackman to beat Essex a week ago. They'll look to build some momentum this weekend against a London Cavaliers (7-11) outfit that have lost four in a row to drop out of the playoff picture.
That just leaves the division's form side, Derby Trailblazers (14-6), to try and extend their five-game win streak at the hands of Essex Rebels (11-8).
The Rebels sent Luke Busumbru to the D1M Team of the Week for his recent antics, and his match up with Derby's reigning Player of the Week Mo Walker is sure to be great viewing despite their differing styles.
2pm - Newcastle Knights vs Bristol Hurricanes - LIVE STATS
7pm - Hemel Storm vs Loughborough Riders - LIVE STATS / LIVE STREAM / TICKETS
7:30pm - City of Birmingham Rockets vs London Cavaliers - LIVE STATS / TICKETS
7:30pm - Derby Trailblazers vs Essex Rebels - LIVE STATS / TICKETS
7:30pm - Nottingham Hoods vs Bradford Dragons - LIVE STATS / TICKETS
2pm - Reading Rockets vs Milton Keynes Breakers - LIVE STATS / LIVE STREAM / PREVIEW
Live stream details will be added as they become available
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Main image credit - @sam_sportsphotography
