Kabul Zalmi beat Shamshad Eagles 181 to 180 in the Kabul Premier League on Wednesday. The hosts took the win by a single point after the two sides had met just the day before in a game that ended 242 to 241 in favour of the visitors. Both teams now sit level on points at the bottom half of the table.
What matters here is the proximity of the result. Eighteen points separate the two sides on the table, with Kabul Zalmi third and Shamshad Eagles fourth. Five games played, two wins each, three defeats. The gap between them is small enough that either could shift positions with a win.
The back-to-back nature of these encounters is worth noting. Shamshad Eagles won the first meeting 242 to 241, but Kabul Zalmi turned it around on home court. Both teams have shown they can produce high-scoring affairs — Kabul Zalmi lost 256 to 169 earlier this month, while Shamshad Eagles suffered a 307 to 191 defeat against Pamiir Stars.
Four points for each side after five matches puts them in a tight cluster. The standings don't tell you much about form, since one team's losses came in comfortable margins while the other's included a 191 to 190 win over Pamiir Stars. This result keeps the middle of the table unsettled.