Lika Kovai Kings and Nellai Royal Kings met in the Tamil Nadu Premier League on Wednesday, with the visitors claiming a 163-162 victory. The final margin was a single point, and both sides had played seven matches by then. Each side carried eight points into the fixture, though the hosts sat third while the away team occupied fifth place.
Nellai's run of recent results had been uneven. They lost 182-137 to Ruby Trichy Warriors on the 11th and fell 207-206 to Aydrim Tiruppur Tamizhans two days later. Before that they edged Dindigul Dragons 172-170 and beat Chepauk Super Gillies 204-154. The narrow win here kept their momentum alive, if only temporarily.
Lika Kovai had shown similar patterns. A 167-166 defeat to Aydrim Tiruppur Tamizhans on the 11th was followed by a 240-239 loss to Sichem Madurai Panthers two days earlier. They had won 194-160 against Salem Spartans on the 6th, but those results painted a picture of games decided by fractions.
Both teams sat level on eight points from seven outings, with identical records of four victories and three defeats. The difference was the position in the table, and today's result shifted that gap. Nellai moved ahead while Lika dropped further back, however slightly.
The standings now reflect a one-point separation between the sides in third and fifth place, though the table remains fluid with three rounds still to play. Neither team has yet secured anything, and neither has fallen into danger either. The league is still waiting to find its shape.