As Reading claimed the KitKing Trophy, leaders Hemel slipped up against Loughborough, while there's now a gap between bottom two Worthing and Bradford to the sides above.
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We'll pick a Player of the Week and four other selections to round out the Team of the Week, paying attention to the following criteria:
Other players will also receive a shout out as honourable mentions at the bottom of the piece.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
In what was one of the tightest calls of the season, Murdock Jr. edged Player of the Week honours after a stunning 16-assist performance in Nottingham Hoods' 103-93 victory against Bradford Dragons.
In what was a huge contest at the bottom of the standings, Murdock not only put together a quality performance with a joint team-high 23 points, but his incredible assist numbers also brought the best from the likes of Greg Skoric, Elliot Bailey and Landon Taliaferro.
The British guard's own shooting (9/17 FGs, 52%) plus high-quality distribution allowed the Hoods to shoot 56% from the floor in the must-win game, with Murdock also drawing 10 of his team's 13 fouls in the contest as Bradford tried anything they could to slow him down.
The first double up in this week's five belongs to Nottingham as forward Skoric joins Murdock Jr in receiving recognition for his part in the Hoods' big win over Bradford.
The American pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds, with no other player for either side making it to double digits, as the hosts won the battle on the glass 45-27.
That control down low also allowed the Hoods to pour in 26 second-chance points, and 56 of their total points came inside the paint.
Skoric has proven to be one of D1M's elite forwards this season, and his timely double-double on Saturday was just another reminder of that.
Johnson came so close to taking this week's top spot, but in the end was just shaded by Murdock's passing masterclass.
The Newcastle man contributed a D1M weekend-high 32 points in the 105-77 victory against Bristol Hurricanes, but it was his antics from beyond the arc that earned him rave reviews.
Netting nine threes as part of his output, the British guard was dialled in from long range as the Knights claimed their eighth win of the season, moving into playoff contention in the process.
Seven rebounds and a pair of steals provided extra value, but Johnson's prowess from range was more than enough to earn him a slot in this week's five regardless.
It's a second double up for this week, with Abdul taking up a space in the Team of the Week alongside his Newcastle colleague Johnson.
Abdul knows his way around the basket after claiming last season's scoring crown, and this week's 24 points came on a super efficient 9-14 shooting (64%) that included 3/5 from three-point land.
Ten rebounds formed his double-double, with a pair of assists also coming in handy as the Knights claimed a big win against Bristol.
Eleven of Hafeez's points, plus one of his assists, came in the opening quarter as the hosts surged into a 27-14 lead, using that platform to run out as comfortable winners.
The key catalyst in Loughborough's 80-72 upset road win over leaders Hemel, Joiner rounds out this week's five following a balanced 24-point, six-rebound, six assist performance.
Joiner contributed eight of his points, plus an assist, to the Riders' cause during a pivotal 30-15 final quarter, turning a 57-50 deficit into an eight-point win.
His team-high haul came on 52% shooting, and three triples (with one coming in the fourth quarter) further added to Joiner's influence on the win.
It's true that the regular season carries plenty of meaning, just ask all the teams that have been crowned as champions over the years. But outside of the glamour of top spot, the other seven places are dedicated to playoff seedings, with teams aiming to make a run in April's playoffs to ultimate glory.
Despite this weekend's slip, the regular-season title is still very much heading Hemel's way, and it would take a sizable drop off in form for that to change. That leaves a number of other teams to try and hit their best form in the coming weeks, building momentum to picking up three precious wins in the post-season to put their name in the NBL history books.
Looking at a team like Essex, they've just reeled off back-to-back victories against Derby and Hemel, and two of their remaining four games are against teams in the bottom three (Nottingham and Bradford). Locked into the playoffs and with no chance of top spot, they fit the bill for a team looking to hit top form from here on in.
At the other end of the scale, Bristol Hurricanes are currently tied for seventh and eighth, but have lost five in a row and their form couldn't be much worse. Assuming they can keep themselves in the playoff mix, they'll be hoping to turn their momentum around if they're to stand any hope of a post-season run.
Nottingham's huge win over Bradford last weekend finally created some separation at the bottom of the D1M standings, and that isn't good news for Bradford or Worthing.
The Dragons do have the small advantage of having played fewer games that the teams around them, 19, to Nottingham and Worthing's 21, but Bradford's run in contains games against Reading (2nd), Essex (5th), Milton Keynes (4th) and Hemel (1st).
An away date with London Cavaliers is their only remaining clash with a team outside the playoffs, which doesn't bode well for a side who now need at least three more wins given they don't control the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Hoods. And that's assuming Nottingham don't pick up any points for their remaining games, either.
Worthing potentially need to win all three of their last games as well, against City of Birmingham, Derby, then a final day showdown at home to Nottingham, to stand a chance of escaping the bottom two.
Neither quest is impossible, and at the business end of the regular season, stranger things have happened. But both sides now face a tall order if they're to continue their reign in D1M for 2025/26.
Ronald Blain (NEW) - 11P/11R/12A/23EFF
Darien Nelson-Henry (HEM) - 27P/14R/28EFF
Luke Okosieme (CoB) - 10P/13R/2A/2S/4B/25EFF
Micah Savery-Richards (BRA) - 23P/7R/2A/30EFF
Elliot Bailey (NOT) - 23P/7R/24EFF
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Main image credit - Rico Mariano
