Golden Gate Edges Playbox in Thrilling One-Point Victory

March 16, Kathmandu – On Tuesday night, Golden Gate International Club secured a thrilling one-point victory over Playbox in the Himalayan Java National Basketball League (HJNBL) 2026.

The highly competitive and exciting match took place at the Dasarath Rangashala Covered Hall in Tripureshwor, where Golden Gate narrowly defeated Playbox 77-76.

Golden Gate established an early lead by outscoring Playbox 17-15 in the first quarter and 18-16 in the second, going into halftime ahead 35-31. Playbox fought back in the third quarter, outscoring Golden Gate 20-18 and reducing the gap, setting up a thrilling contest going into the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, Playbox again outscored Golden Gate 25-24, but ultimately Golden Gate claimed the win by a single point.

Vikash Gurung was the top scorer for Golden Gate with 18 points.

This victory marks Golden Gate’s third win in four games, while Playbox suffered their third loss. Golden Gate now sits fourth in the league standings with 7 points, while Playbox is sixth with 5 points.

In the other game played on Tuesday, Times defeated Solo Basketball Club.

The second edition of the HJNBL, organized and managed by the Nepal Basketball Association (NEBA), features eight teams competing in a double round-robin format. The league will consist of a total of 56 games.

After the league phase, the top four teams will qualify for the playoffs. The first and second-placed teams will face off in the first qualifier, while the third and fourth-placed teams will compete in the eliminator. The loser of the first qualifier and the winner of the eliminator will then play in the second qualifier. The winners of the first and second qualifiers will advance to the final game.

Photo: HJNBL