Tagawa secured a narrow 55:53 victory over Tong Wee in the NBL in Singapore on Friday. The result puts the hosts five points clear of the visitors in the standings, though both teams sit on zero points in the current scoring system. It marks a fourth straight win for Tagawa, who have been finding a way to win games of late.
The match itself was decided by a single point, and one mistake ends it in contests like this. Tagawa held their nerve in the closing stages after Tong Wee had pushed them hard. The away side ran out of legs in the final period, but they kept the scoreline tight until the whistle.
Looking at recent form, Tagawa have been inconsistent. They lost three of their last four before this win, including heavy defeats to SG Basketball and Siglap. Tong Wee, meanwhile, have won just two of nine games this season. Their only recent victory came against Tun San, and they have lost seven of their last eight.
Both teams are still searching for consistency. Tagawa sit fifth after nine games, while Tong Wee languish in ninth. The gap in performance is clear, but this result shows how close games can be when neither side is firing on all cylinders.
The hosts now have a chance to build momentum. They have played the second half a man up in terms of confidence, and if they can maintain this level, they might climb the table. For Tong Wee, the situation is touch and go — they are running out of games to salvage their season.