Iranian Basketball Super League Finals:
Shahrdari routs Tabiat to close in on title
Shahrdari Gorgan defeated defending champion Tabiat Eslamshahr 100-73 in Game 2 of the Iranian Basketball Super League Finals in Tehran on Friday.
Iranian international guard Amirhossein Yazarloo contributed with 22 points, plus four rebounds and steals apiece for the visiting side as Shahrdari took a comprehensive 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Beaten 3-2 by Tabiat in last year’s Finals, Shahrdari can clinch the title with a victory in its own backyard when the series go to Gorgan for Game 3 on Monday.
“My players gave it their all and were awarded for their efforts,” Shahrdari head coach Saleh Makhdoumi said after the game, adding: “Tabiat is a great team with great players and coaching staff. The series are far from finished and we will still have to play with the same determination in the next game to lift the trophy.”
Shahrdari had won the first game of the finals 81-78 on Wednesday – also staged at Tehran’s Mahmoud Mashhoun Arena.
Having finished fourth in the regular season standings, Shahrdari eased past Golnour Isfahan 3-0 in the first round of the playoffs, before coming from behind to beat Kaleh 3-1 in the best-of-five semifinal series.
Tabiat, meanwhile, finished runner-up to Kaleh in the 11-team table and went on to beat Payesh Part Shahrud for a last-four spot.
Mehran Shahintab’s men won the semifinal series 3-1 against Palayesh Naft Abadan.