The 2026 NBL relegation battle started in round one and is getting more interesting with every passing game. The start of the second round has produced some curious results which have impacted how the relegation battle looks like.

After the first round, the UPDF Tomahawks were in 9th place with a 3-8 record. Their win against the JKL Dolphins was very significant as they lost to both the UMU Flames and the Kampala Rockets.

The JKL Dolphins were in 10th place with a 2-9 record. Their wins came against the UMU Flames and the Kampala Rockets.

UMU Flames also had a 2-9 record with their winning having come against the Kampala Rockets and the UPDF Tomhawks.

Finally, the Rockets were in 12th also with a 2-8 record. However, since they had lost to both UMU and JKL, they were last in head to head. Their 2 wins had come against the JT Jaguars and the UCU Canons.

Second Round Results

In the first week of the second round, the four teams played games amongst themselves. The results have a significant impact on who could end up being relegated.

UPDF Tomahawks secured a 92-70 win over the Kampala Rockets. This put them at 4 wins and gave them a cushion off of the drop. Most importantly, they got to own the tiebreaker between them and the Rockets.

On the same day, UMU Flames defeated the JKL Dolphins 84-79 in overtime. This was their third win of the season and they climbed to 10th place. The most important thing about this win was that they won by 5 points and got to own the tiebreaker against the JKL Dolphins. In round one, they had lost to the Dolphins by 4 points.

On Wednesday 29th April, the JKL Dolphins registered a very important victory. They thumped the UPDF Tomahawks 88-61. This result meant that JKL move to 3 wins but also owned the tiebreaker against the UPDF Tomahawks.

On Saturday 2nd May, the JKL Dolphins secured another pivotal victory after edging the KCCA Panthers 56-52. After this game, they moved to 9th place with 4 wins, same as the Tomahawks (in 10th), but ahead since they own the tiebeaker.

On the same day, the Kampala Rockets lost to Sommet 80-67 and also the UMU Flames lost to the Namuwong Blazers 46-66. These results mean that JKL Dolphins now has a very high chance of surviving.

Games remaining amongst each other

UMU Flames is yet to face both the Kampala Rockets and the UPDF Tomahawks. In round one, they defeated both on the same weekend. If they can win both of these games, they will go to 5 wins which could be enough to guarantee safety.

The most important thing from those games is who will take the tiebreaker. If UMU wins both, they will own the tiebreakers against all the other three and that puts them in an advantageous position. If they lose the game and lose their tiebreakers, it will be trouble for them.

JKL Dolphins will face the Kampala Rockets in another pivotal game. The Rockets haven’t won a game in a long time and have lost a number of their top players. If JKL can secure a win against they, they will move to 5 wins which could be enough to guarantee safety.

It is not over

The relegation battle is far from over. With shock results like the JKL win against the KCCA Panthers, it is a sign that there is more to come. Every game counts for these 4 teams and a lot is at stake. At the moment, it looks like the Kampala Rockets can’t keep up the pace but a lot can happen in the remaining 9 games.

JKL Dolphins face the JT Jaguars next on Sunday 3rd May while the UMU Flames will take on the Victoria Crocs whose form has been terrible. A win for any of those teams changes a lot of things.