by Matthew Brennan, NBA D-League.com

Second Round and NBA D-League Finals

The team with the better regular season record will hold home-court advantage in the second round and the Finals. Both rounds will be best two of three games. In the second round, the winners of the first-round match-ups involving the top seed and the fourth seed will meet, while the other game will be the winner of the games involving the second seed and third seed.

NBA D-League Finals Schedule

Rio Grande Valley vs. Tulsa 66ers (Vipers Win 2-0)

Game 1 - Rio Grande Valley 124, Tulsa 107
Game 2 - Rio Grande Valley 94, Tulsa 91

Second Round Schedule

Iowa Energy vs. Tulsa 66ers

Game 1 - Iowa 107, Tulsa 102
Game 2 - Tulsa 117, Tulsa 106
Game 3* - Tulsa 127, Iowa 122

Rio Grande Valley Vipers vs. Austin Toros

Game 1 - Austin 122, Rio Grande Valley 120
Game 2 - Rio Grande Valley 137, Austin 110
Game 3* - Rio Grande Valley 99, Austin 98

First Round Schedule (All Times Local)

Iowa Energy v. Utah Flash (Iowa Wins Series 2-1)

Game 1 - Utah 107, Iowa 76
Game 2 - Iowa 101, Utah 91
*Game 3 - Iowa 111, Utah 92

Rio Grande Valley Vipers v. Reno Bighorns (Rio Grande Valley Wins Series 2-1)

Game 1 - Rio Grande Valley 110, Reno 94
Game 2 - Reno 126, Rio Grande Valley 124
*Game 3 - Rio Grande Valley 135, Reno 118

Austin Toros v. Dakota Wizards (Austin Wins Series 2-1)

Game 1 - Austin 98, Dakota 96
Game 2 - Dakota 106, Austin 96
*Game 3 - Austin 102, Dakota 90

Sioux Falls Skyforce v. Tulsa 66ers (Tulsa Wins Series 2-1)

Game 1 - Tulsa 119, Sioux Falls 109
Game 2 - Sioux Falls 106, Tulsa 99
*Game 3 - Tulsa 111, Sioux Falls 101

The First-Round Selection Format

Just like last season, the top three seeds heading into the playoffs will choose their opponents. The top seeds will be the East and West Conference winners in order of best-record as well as the remaining wild-card team with the best record. They will choose their opponents from among the fifth through eight best teams out of the eight playoff qualifiers. The remaining team out of that group not selected will face the fourth-seeded team in the first-round. The Iowa Energy will select first as the team with the best record in the league. The Rio Grande Valley Vipers have clinched the second selection as the current West Conference champions, while the Austin Toros are the remaining team with the best record and will get the third choice. Sioux Falls is the fourth seed and will face the remaining team out of the four that is not chosen by one of the top three seeds.

Current Playoff Picture

Clinched Conference Titles: Iowa, Rio Grande Valley

Qualified Teams: Iowa (clinched first seed), Rio Grande Valley (clinched second seed), Austin (clinched third seed), Sioux Falls, Dakota, Utah, Tulsa, Reno

Last Team Out: Maine

Teams Eliminated From Playoff Contention: Maine, Idaho, Fort Wayne, Erie, Albuquerque, Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Springfield