KATHMANDU: Nepal national basketball team defeated Pakistan 66-62 in their second match of the Five Nation Basketball Championship in Maldives on Thursday. Nepal bounced back in the last two quarters to register their first victory in the tournament. Nepal fell 15-11 behind in the first quarter, while Pakistan extended the lead to five points after they won the second period 18-17.

Nepal added 21 points in the third quarter and restricted Pakistan to 12 points to take a 49-45 lead going into the final period. Both teams netted 17 points each in the final period as Nepal completed the victory. In the first match, Nepal faced a 61-55 defeat at the hands of Bhutan. Nepal will play against Bangladesh on Saturday and face Maldives on Sunday. Top four teams will advance to the semi-finals.

A version of this article appears in the print on June 16, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.