Gaziantep — Harem Spor: 70:67, TBL

Gaziantep beat Harem Spor 70:67 in the Turkish Basketball League on Saturday. The hosts secured their third-place standing while the visitors dropped further down the table. It was a close affair that decided itself in the final minutes.

By then the game had turned into a defensive battle. Gaziantep held their nerve when they could have let the lead slip. They knew what was at stake — a top-four position and the momentum from their recent run.

We had called for the home side at 59% confidence. It came through, not with ease but with enough to get over the line. Harem Spor kept knocking on the door, particularly in the second period when they briefly took the lead. But Gaziantep responded each time.

The visitors arrived in decent form, winning three of their last five. They had handled Konya BBSK and Ankara D.S.I. comfortably enough. But against the third-placed side, the margin for error vanished.

What stood out was the closing phase. Gaziantep turned to their veterans when the game tightened. They worked the ball, took the right shots, and kept the scoreboard moving in their favour.

The result leaves Gaziantep seven points clear of fourth place. Harem Spor remain 14th, eight points from safety with games running out. This was the sort of win that matters more than any single statistic.