Turkish Basketball League

Infobox sports league
current_season=Turkish Basketball League 2007-2008
pixels=280px
sport=Basketball
founded=1966
teams=16
country=TUR
title=Turkish Basketball League
Türkiye Basketbol Ligi

continent=flagicon|EU Europe
champion=Fenerbahçe Ülker
website= [http://www.tbf.org.tr TBF.org.tr]

The Turkish Basketball League (TBL) is the top men’s professional basketball league in Turkey, which is also called Turkish Premier Basketball League (Turkish: "Türkiye 1. Basketbol Ligi"). There is also a Turkish Second Basketball League (TB2L) consisting of 2 divisions (A and B).

History

The first basketball game played in Turkey was at the Robert College in Istanbul in 1904. Galatasaray Lisesi formed the first basketball team in 1911. The next basketball team founded was of Fenerbahçe SK in 1913. An unofficial league was founded in 1927 in Istanbul, which lasted until the establishment of a regional official league in 1933. From 1946 on, basketball championships were organized between the leading clubs of Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir.

The Turkish Basketball League, in the current form, was founded on December 13, 1969 by the Turkish Basketball Federation, and began play with the 1968-1969 season.

The competition

There are 16 teams in the league and they play against each other twice in the league manner, once at their home and the other away. At the end of the season, the top 8 teams are entitled to participate at the playoff games. The two top teams of the Second League are promoted to the Premier League. The two lowest placed teams of the Premier League play, respectively, with the third and fourth ranking teams of the Second League in a one game knock-out playoff. The winning top two teams are entitled to play in the Premier League, and the losing two others are relegated into the Second League.

Beko Basketball League 2007/2008 Playoffs

The 2008 Beko Basketball League Playoffs is the final phase of the 2007-2008 regular season. The Beko Basketball League playoffs started on Saturday, May 3, 2008 and will run through June with the League finals.

Quarterfinal and Semifinal series are 5-match series. The teams reaches the first 3 wins is through to the next round. The team which has won both regular season matchups starts with a 1-0 lead to the series.

Final series are 7-match series and the team reaches first 4 wins is the champion of the Beko Basketball League.

8TeamBracket
RD1=Quarter Finals
RD2=SemiFinals
RD3=Finals
group1=
group2=
RD1-seed1=1
RD1-team1=Beşiktaş Cola Turka
RD1-score1=3
RD1-seed2=8
RD1-team2=Bandırma Banvit
RD1-score2=1
RD1-seed3=4
RD1-team3=Türk Telekom
RD1-score3=3
RD1-seed4=5
RD1-team4=Galatasaray
RD1-score4=0
RD1-seed5=2
RD1-team5=Efes Pilsen
RD1-score5=3
RD1-seed6=7
RD1-team6=Pınar Karşıyaka
RD1-score6=1
RD1-seed7=3
RD1-team7=Fenerbahçe Ülker
RD1-score7=3
RD1-seed8=6
RD1-team8=Antalya Belediye
RD1-score8=1
RD2-seed1=1
RD2-team1=Beşiktaş Cola Turka
RD2-score1=1
RD2-seed2=4
RD2-team2=Türk Telekom
RD2-score2=3
RD2-seed3=2
RD2-team3=Efes Pisen
RD2-score3=0
RD2-seed4=3
RD2-team4=Fenerbahçe Ülker
RD2-score4=3
RD3-seed1=3
RD3-team1=Fenerbahçe Ülker
RD3-score1=4
RD3-seed2=4
RD3-team2=Türk Telekom
RD3-score2=1

2007/2008 Playoff seedings, results, and schedules

Quarter Finals

(1) Beşiktaş Cola Turka (24-6) vs. (8) Bandırma Banvit (14-16) (Series starts 1-0)
*Game 1 03 May @ Beşiktaş Arena, İstanbul: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10241 Beşiktaş Cola Turka: 85, Bandırma Banvit: 81] (2-0)
*Game 2 08 May @ Kara Ali Acar, Balıkesir: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10248 Bandırma Banvit: 90, Beşiktaş Cola Turka: 89] (1-2)
*Game 3 10 May @ Kara Ali Acar, Balıkesir: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10251 Bandırma Banvit: 96, Beşiktaş Cola Turka: 102] (1-3)"Beşiktaş Cola Turka wins the series 3:1"

(2) Efes Pilsen (22-8) vs. (7) Pınar Karşıyaka (17-13) (Series starts 0-0)
*Game 1 04 May @ Abdi İpekçi, İstanbul: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10243 Efes Pilsen: 73, Pınar Karşıyaka: 79] (0-1)
*Game 2 06 May @ Abdi İpekçi, İstanbul: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10246 Efes Pilsen: 78, Pınar Karşıyaka: 56] (1-1)
*Game 3 10 May @ KY Pınar Arena, İzmir: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10252 Pınar Karşıyaka: 82, Efes Pilsen: 95] (1-2)
*Game 4 12 May @ KY Pınar Arena, İzmir: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10254 Pınar Karşıyaka: 77, Efes Pilsen: 85] (1-3)"Efes Pilsen wins the series 3:1"

(3) Fenerbahçe Ülker (21-9) vs. (6) Antalya Belediye (18-12) (Series starts 0-0)
*Game 1 04 May @ Abdi İpekçi, İstanbul: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10244 Fenerbahçe Ülker: 78, Antalya Belediye: 73] (1-0)
*Game 2 06 May @ Abdi İpekçi, İstanbul: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10247 Fenerbahçe Ülker: 81, Antalya Belediye: 76] (2-0)
*Game 3 10 May @ Atatürk SH, Antalya: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10250 Antalya Belediye: 88, Fenerbahçe Ülker: 82] (1-2)
*Game 4 12 May @ Atatürk SH, Antalya: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10253 Antalya Belediye: 78, Fenerbahçe Ülker: 85] (1-3)"Fenerbahçe Ülker wins the series 3:1"

(4) Türk Telekom (20-10) vs. (5) Galatasaray Café Crown (19-11) (Series starts 0-0)
*Game 1 05 May @ Atatürk Sports Hall, Ankara: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10242 Türk Telekom: 78, Galatasaray: 71] (1-0)
*Game 2 07 May @ Atatürk Sports Hall, Ankara: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10245 Türk Telekom: 73, Galatasaray: 68] (2-0)
*Game 3 11 May @ Ayhan Şahenk Hall, İstanbul: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10249 Galatasaray: 86, Türk Telekom: 88] (0-3)"Türk Telekom wins the series 3:0"

emifinals

(1) Beşiktaş Cola Turka (24-6) vs. (4) Türk Telekom (20-10) (Series starts 0-1)
*Game 1 16 May @ Beşiktaş Arena, İstanbul: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10255 Beşiktaş Cola Turka: 87, Türk Telekom: 77] (1-1)
*Game 2 19 May @ Atatürk Sports H., Ankara: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10257 Türk Telekom: 79, Beşiktaş Cola Turka: 74] (2-1)
*Game 3 21 May @ Atatürk Sports H., Ankara: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10259 Türk Telekom: 75, Beşiktaş Cola Turka: 71] (3-1)"Türk Telekom wins the series 3:1"

(2) Efes Pilsen (22-8) vs. (3) Fenerbahçe Ülker (21-9) (Series starts 0-1)
*Game 1 17 May @ Abdi İpekçi, İstanbul: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10256 Efes Pilsen: 65, Fenerbahçe Ülker: 76] (0-2)
*Game 2 20 May @ Abdi İpekçi, İstanbul: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10258 Fenerbahçe Ülker: 82, Efes Pilsen: 75] (3-0)"Fenerbahçe Ülker wins the series 3:0"

Beko Basketball League Finals

(3) Fenerbahçe Ülker (21-9) vs. (4) Türk Telekom (20-10) (Series starts 0-0)
*Game 1 25 May @ Abdi İpekçi Arena, İstanbul: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10260 Fenerbahçe Ülker: 100, Türk Telekom: 72] (1-0)
*Game 2 27 May @ Abdi İpekçi Arena, İstanbul: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10261 Fenerbahçe Ülker: 99, Türk Telekom: 87] (2-0)
*Game 3 30 May @ Atatürk Sports Hall, Ankara: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10262 Türk Telekom: 87, Fenerbahçe Ülker: 75] (1-2)
*Game 4 01 June @ Atatürk Sports Hall, Ankara: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/mac.asp?mac=10263 Türk Telekom: 94, Fenerbahçe Ülker: 96 (OT)] (1-3)
*Game 5 04 June @ Abdi İpekçi Arena, İstanbul: [http://www.tbl.org.tr/beko/haber_detay.asp?Haber=3436 Fenerbahçe Ülker: 90, Türk Telekom: 79 ] (4-1)

Clubs 2007/2008 Season

The league currently consists of the following member clubs (number of championship titles won):

† : This club is the product of the 2006 merger of Fenerbahçe SK with Gençlik Ve SK, better known by its sponsorship name of Ülkerspor (Ülker). Of the 6 titles won by the club in the era of the modern Turkish League, 4 were won by Ülker, one by pre-merger Fenerbahçe, and the other by Fenerbahçe Ülker in the first season after the merger.

Past winners

:† Top scorer of the playoffs from the winning team.

External links

* [http://www.tbl.org.tr/ Turkish Basketball League Official Website]
* [http://www.tbf.org.tr/ Turkish Basketball Federation Official Website]
*en icon [http://www.tblstat.net tblstat.net]
*tr icon [http://www.ttbasket.net Turk Telekom Fans' site]