The contest is getting tighter and tighter at the top of the ANZ Premiership, as teams fight for the two finals spots.
Central Pulse now share top spot on the ladder after beating Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic 50-49 in what was a seventh straight victory.
Meanwhile, the Magic's hopes of a place in the finals are all but over.
The Pulse could breathe a sigh of relief once the final whistle blew, while the Magic knew they'd all but blown any hopes of reaching the playoffs.
"Three more weeks to go, and it's another opportunity to show our best," said Magic coach Mary-Jane Araroa.
The Pulse were quick to take control of the match during the first half, with defender Kelly Jury getting plenty of ball.
Down by seven, the Magic slowly clawed their way back into the match and even took the lead in the final quarter.
But silly mistakes handed the defending champs a chance to take charge once again - and they took it.
The Pulse took victory by one goal, and are tied with the Mystics at the top of the table, with co-captain Tiana Metuarau putting their tight victory down to one main thing.
"There's a lot of trust," she said post-match. "Kind of an under-appreciated thing, I would say.
"I think that's our superpower."
It was just as tight in Christchurch where the Northern Stars and Mainland Tactix were neck and neck, and were 24 all at half time.
But it was the Stars who prevailed and managed a 57-50 win to boost their own chances of reaching the finals.
"It was very crucial for us to win this game," said captain Maia Wilson. "In terms of the leaderboard, us and the Tactix were very, very close.
"Perhaps it came down to this one game, and what happens in the finals series."
The two top teams go straight to the grand final, and with only two rounds to go the competition is only going to get tougher.
