Kathmandu: Times International Club secured their fifth consecutive victory in the Himalayan Java National Basketball League (HJ NBL) 2026, defeating Royal 95–61 on Saturday.

Times dominated all four quarters, posting scores of 29–17, 17–14, 25–18 and 24–12 at the Dasharath Stadium covered hall. Captain Sadish Pradhan led the charge with 24 points.

The win marks Times’ fifth straight triumph after losing their opening match to GoldenGate. They now sit on 11 points from six matches. Royal, meanwhile, suffered their fifth defeat and have seven points from six games.

In Friday’s late fixture, Army defeated Playbox Arena 102–86.

A total of eight teams are competing in the second edition of the league, organised by the Nepal Basketball Association (NeBA).

The league follows a double round-robin format, featuring 56 matches in total. At the end of the league stage, the top four teams will advance to the playoffs.

In the playoffs, the top two teams will meet in Qualifier 1 — effectively a semi-final — while the third and fourth-placed teams will contest the Eliminator. The loser of Qualifier 1 will face the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2, with the winners of Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2 advancing to the final.

The champions will receive a cash prize of Rs 400,000, while the runners-up will earn Rs 200,000 and the third-placed team Rs 100,000.