en 2017%E2%80%9318 National Basketball League (Bulgaria) season

NBL
NBL
Duration	7 October 2017– 29 May 2018
Games played	108 (Regular season); 23 (Playoffs)
Teams	9
TV partner(s)	BNT
Regular season
Season MVP	Alan Arnett
Finals
Champions	Levski Lukoil
Runners-up	Balkan Botevgrad
Third place	Rilski Sportist
Fourth place	Academic Bultex 99
Finals MVP	Bozhidar Avramov
Statistical leaders
Points
Points	Alan Arnett
Rebounds	Darrius Garrett
Assists	Milen Dudev
Index Rating	Alan Arnett
Records
Biggest home win	Academic Sofia 131–68 Cherno More Ticha; (28 October 2017)
Biggest away win	Academic Sofia 51–93 Academic Bultex 99; (13 January 2018)
Highest scoring	Yambol 116–106 Spartak; (17 March 2018)
Winning streak	7 Games - 3 Teams (Academic Sofia, Balkan, Levski Lukoil)
Losing streak	13 Games Spartak Pleven
	← 2016–17 2018–19 →

The 2017–18 National Basketball League (Bulgaria) season was the 77th season of the Bulgarian NBL. The season started on October 7, 2017 and ended on May 29, 2018.

Teams

2017–18 Bulgarian National Basketball League club locations.

The same nine teams of the previous season repeated participation in the 2017–18 season.^[3]

Club	Last season	Arena	Location	Capacity
Academic Bultex 99	2nd	Arena Sila	Plovdiv	1,000
Balkan Botevgrad	5th	Arena Botevgrad	Botevgrad	4,500
Beroe	3rd	Municipal Hall	Stara Zagora	1,000
Cherno More Ticha	7th	Hristo Borisov	Varna	1,000
Levski Lukoil^[a]	9th	Universiada Hall	Sofia	4,000
Academic Sofia^[a]	1st	Sports Complex Hall	Pravets	1,000
Rilski Sportist	4th	Arena Samokov	Samokov	2,500
Spartak Pleven	6th	Balkanstroy	Pleven	1,200
Yambol	8th	Diana	Yambol	3,000

^ ^a ^b Academic started the season as "Lukoil Academic". However, from January 2018 main sponsor Lukoil left the team for Levski Sofia.^[4] Levski was named "Levski Lukoil", while the other club was simply named "Academic".

Regular season

In the regular season, teams play against each other three times home-and-away in a double round-robin format. The eight first qualified teams advance to the playoffs.

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	Levski Lukoil	24	18	6	2018	1777	+241	42	Advance to playoffs
2	Academic Bultex 99	24	18	6	1959	1762	+197	42
3	Balkan Botevgrad^[a]	24	19	5	2003	1780	+223	42
4	Rilski Sportist	24	16	8	2098	1895	+203	40
5	Beroe	24	12	12	2050	1955	+95	36
6	Academic Sofia	24	10	14	1946	2013	−67	34
7	Yambol	24	8	16	1983	2204	−221	32
8	Cherno More Ticha	24	5	19	1789	2067	−278	29
9	Spartak Pleven	24	2	22	1961	2354	−393	26

Source: NBL
Notes:

^ Academic Plovdiv was awarded 20-0 win, due to illegal use of 5 foreigner players at the same time by Balkan, on 1 April 2018. Additionally Balkan would take 0 points from this game. The original score was 86-76, for Balkan.^[5]

Results

First stage

Home \ Away	ACP	ACS	BAL	BER	CHE	LEV	RIL	SPA	YAM
Academic Bultex 99	—	66–81	80–70	85–53	88–66	77–96	79–74	94–75	78–72
Academic Sofia	51–93	—	91–99	75–96	131–68	70–96	95–75	105–78	112–81
Balkan Botevgrad	85–78	69–65	—	87–80	104–83	67–70	83–78	106–76	97–83
Beroe	91–94	66–95	67–92	—	94–68	74–81	68–96	111–76	102–85
Cherno More Ticha	81–71	101–70	75–82	97–91	—	62–88	73–80	105–99	93–99
Levski Lukoil	70–82	78–84	63–86	71–73	63–53	—	67–73	108–65	108–88
Rilski Sportist	97–89	76–93	86–70	96–88	120–73	72–73	—	84–54	101–75
Spartak Pleven	88–97	111–71	81–102	83–104	68–80	87–93	89–105	—	77–91
Yambol	70–78	90–83	79–86	84–103	76–70	77–89	78–106	87–73	—

Source: NBL
Legend: Blue = home team win; Red = away team win.

Second stage

Home and away games depend on table after the first stage.

Home \ Away	ACP	ACS	BAL	BER	CHE	LEV	RIL	SPA	YAM
Academic Bultex	—	85–65	—	82–70	71–62	—	—	—	94–81
Academic Sofia	—	—	—	78–104	75–69	—	—	101–73	81–87
Balkan	0–20	93–49	—	—	—	79–71	92–80	—	—
Beroe	—	—	91–66	—	76–60	—	—	115–85	88–61
Cherno More	—	—	76–81	—	—	63–89	67–91	76–89	—
Levski Lukoil	109–97	78–57	—	78–68	—	—	—	—	100–70
Rilski Sportist	74–78	81–68	—	79–77	—	73–75	—	—	—
Spartak Pleven	81–103	—	80–102	—	—	80–104	86–94	—	—
Yambol	—	—	78–104	—	71–68	—	104–107	116–106	—

Source: NBL
Legend: Blue = home team win; Red = away team win.

Playoffs

Quarterfinals					Semifinals						Finals

1	Levski Lukoil	93	81

8	Cherno More	67	79
					1	Levski Lukoil	90	77	76	85

					4	Rilski Sportist	69	78	73	81
4	Rilski Sportist	91	80

5	Beroe	81	70
											1	Levski Lukoil	69	71	71	86

											3	Balkan	71	65	60	85
2	Academic Plovdiv	94	79	103

7	Yambol	75	97	72
					2	Academic Plovdiv	78	68	74	91	Third place

					3	Balkan	79	59	97	102
3	Balkan	99	98								2	Academic Plovdiv	56	77

6	Academic Sofia	56	68								4	Rilski Sportist	77	92

Player of the round

Player of the round^[6]
Round	Player	Team	PIR
1	Alex Davis	Beroe	33
2	Pavel Ivanov	Balkan	31
3	Aleksandar Yanev	Beroe	40
4	Nikolay Stoyanov	Levski Lukoil	37
5	Igor Kesar	Balkan	34
6	Aleksandar Yanev	Beroe	38
7	Sheldon Jeter	Rilski Sportist	29
8	Alex Davis	Beroe	36
9	Aleksandar Yanev	Beroe	35
10	Aleksandar Yanev	Beroe	41
11	Alan Arnett	Yambol	39
12	Adjehi Baru	Beroe	42
13	Aleksandar Milov	Academic Sofia	40
14	Alan Arnett	Yambol	34
15	Konstantin Koev	Spartak Pleven	35
16	Igor Kesar	Balkan	42
17	Alan Arnett	Yambol	48
18	Dragan Tubak	Cherno More	38
19	Alan Arnett	Yambol	36
20	Alan Arnett	Yambol	32
21	Devon Washington	Balkan	30
22	Konstantin Koev	Spartak Pleven	40
23	Jordan Callahan	Balkan	32
24	Darrius Garrett	Beroe	31
25	Devon Washington	Balkan	36
26	Dimitar Dimitrov	Academic Plovdiv	41
27	Devon Washington	Balkan	27