# 2018–19 Korisliiga season

The 2018–19 Korisliiga season was the 79th season of the top professional basketball league in Finland. Karhu successfully defended their title to repeat as Finnish national champions.

## Format

The eleven teams played four times against each one of the other teams for a total of 40 games. The eight best qualified teams joined the playoffs and the last one played a best-of-three relegation playoff against the First Division runners-up.

## Teams

Ura promoted from First Division and Kobrat remained in the league as Espoo United was expelled due to financial irregularities.
| Team | City | Arena |
| Helsinki Seagulls | Helsinki | Töölö Sports Hall |
| Kataja | Joensuu | Joensuu Areena |
| Karhu | Kauhajoki | Kauhajoen Yhteiskoulu |
| Kobrat | Lapua | Lapuan Urheilutalo |
| Korihait | Uusikaupunki | Pohitullin Sports Hall |
| Kouvot | Kouvola | Mansikka-Ahon Urheiluhalli |
| KTP | Kotka | Steveco-Areena |
| Nokia | Nokia | Nokian Palloiluhalli |
| Pyrintö | Tampere | Pyynikin Palloiluhalli |
| Salon Vilpas | Vilpas | Salohalli |
| Ura | Kaarina | Kupittaan palloiluhalli |

## Regular season
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Salon Vilpas | 40 | 33 | 7 | 3795 | 3442 | +353 | 66 | Qualification for the playoffs |
| 2 | Karhu | 40 | 28 | 12 | 3513 | 3215 | +298 | 56 | Qualification for the playoffs |
| 3 | Pyrintö | 40 | 24 | 16 | 3574 | 3331 | +243 | 48 | Qualification for the playoffs |
| 4 | Kataja | 40 | 24 | 16 | 3532 | 3371 | +161 | 48 | Qualification for the playoffs |
| 5 | KTP | 40 | 23 | 17 | 3495 | 3410 | +85 | 46 | Qualification for the playoffs |
| 6 | Kouvot | 40 | 19 | 21 | 3462 | 3391 | +71 | 38 | Qualification for the playoffs |
| 7 | Helsinki Seagulls | 40 | 18 | 22 | 3387 | 3393 | −6 | 36 | Qualification for the playoffs |
| 8 | Nokia | 40 | 17 | 23 | 3400 | 3539 | −139 | 34 | Qualification for the playoffs |
| 9 | Korihait | 40 | 16 | 24 | 3434 | 3602 | −168 | 32 | |
| 10 | Kobrat | 40 | 9 | 31 | 3309 | 3707 | −398 | 18 | |
| 11 | Ura | 40 | 9 | 31 | 3180 | 3680 | −500 | 18 | Qualification to relegation playoffs |

### Results

| Home \ Away | HEL | KAU | KAT | KOB | KOR | KOU | KTP | NOK | PYR | VIL | URA | HEL | KAU | KAT | KOB | KOR | KOU | KTP | NOK | PYR | VIL | URA |
| Helsinki Seagulls | — | 82–81 | 63–85 | 73–96 | 87–72 | 74–88 | 93–92 | 88–73 | 87–82 | 91–94 | 93–70 | — | 72–74 | 64–100 | 79–80 | 115–79 | 90–84 | 73–88 | 63–87 | 82–77 | 83–89 | 101–78 |
| Karhu | 85–75 | — | 89–90 | 83–74 | 100–85 | 84–72 | 84–87 | 86–94 | 84–76 | 115–112 | 92–80 | 83–65 | — | 93–92 | 94–77 | 94–75 | 82–79 | 98–87 | 98–75 | 86–79 | 96–81 | 93–70 |
| Kataja | 83–81 | 65–69 | — | 91–72 | 88–77 | 91–80 | 87–84 | 91–82 | 82–84 | 87–94 | 80–88 | 102–80 | 85–65 | — | 87–84 | 102–85 | 79–78 | 88–69 | 93–100 | 76–74 | 121–128 | 96–75 |
| Kobrat | 81–104 | 101–85 | 94–103 | — | 90–99 | 76–93 | 102–86 | 84–81 | 90–108 | 85–92 | 104–94 | 81–82 | 71–81 | 71–104 | — | 89–80 | 78–76 | 77–100 | 95–73 | 75–69 | 114–107 | 102–88 |
| Korihait | 66–80 | 86–93 | 88–80 | 79–78 | — | 95–88 | 89–99 | 77–85 | 96–102 | 103–104 | 90–108 | 75–96 | 55–97 | 90–98 | 80–93 | — | 84–87 | 84–78 | 80–84 | 71–83 | 81–93 | 93–75 |
| Kouvot | 89–86 | 94–79 | 75–61 | 109–90 | 102–73 | — | 82–96 | 85–90 | 94–75 | 81–90 | 97–74 | 94–102 | 80–94 | 97–78 | 109–90 | 77–87 | — | 95–93 | 79–96 | 79–60 | 99–103 | 102–98 |
| KTP | 98–89 | 77–86 | 79–77 | 100–92 | 98–81 | 82–78 | — | 88–68 | 74–98 | 76–72 | 65–91 | 86–84 | 98–79 | 100–79 | 94–69 | 105–94 | 95–87 | — | 94–89 | 92–95 | 93–100 | 88–68 |
| Nokia | 75–118 | 69–94 | 86–88 | 93–81 | 91–80 | 79–69 | 89–78 | — | 86–81 | 86–89 | 100–86 | 93–102 | 66–88 | 97–95 | 78–81 | 89–95 | 86–91 | 101–89 | — | 69–87 | 80–99 | 104–78 |
| Pyrintö | 112–90 | 83–80 | 109–93 | 95–87 | 92–81 | 87–85 | 83–91 | 111–83 | — | 91–100 | 110–73 | 86–85 | 87–86 | 95–67 | 106–89 | 107–72 | 80–83 | 78–80 | 104–93 | — | 89–90 | 95–60 |
| Salon Vilpas | 80–79 | 83–77 | 87–97 | 94–86 | 110–71 | 106–72 | 79–71 | 75–69 | 94–93 | — | 94–78 | 84–87 | 90–86 | 96–78 | 103–76 | 110–71 | 109–86 | 101–84 | 108–89 | 89–85 | — | 92–67 |
| Ura | 82–75 | 75–99 | 72–81 | 89–97 | 83–100 | 55–93 | 69–90 | 74–85 | 83–75 | 81–88 | — | 89–74 | 71–101 | 87–112 | 79–94 | 85–80 | 66–92 | 82–71 | 97–87 | 84–91 | 78–104 | — |

## Playoffs

The quarter-finals and semi-finals were played in a best-of-three 1–1–1–1–1 format with re-seeding in the semifinals. The finals were played in a best-of-seven playoff format.

### Bracket

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | | | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Salon Vilpas | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Nokia | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Nokia | 0 | | | 1 | Salon Vilpas | 3 | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Kouvot | 4 | | | |
| 4 | Kataja | 1 | | | 6 | Kouvot | 4 | | | |
| 5 | KTP | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | KTP | 3 | | | | | | 6 | Kouvot | 1 |
| (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | 6 | Kouvot | 1 |
| (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | 2 | Karhu | 4 |
| 2 | Karhu | 3 | | | | | | | | | 2 | Karhu | 4 |
| 7 | Helsinki Seagulls | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Helsinki Seagulls | 0 | | | 2 | Karhu | 4 | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | KTP | 0 | | | |
| 3 | Pyrintö | 0 | | | 5 | KTP | 0 | | | |
| 6 | Kouvot | 3 | | | | | | | | |

### Quarterfinals

| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 |
| Salon Vilpas | 3–0 | Nokia | 106–70 | 88–70 | 114–87 | 0 | 0 |
| Karhu | 3–0 | Helsinki Seagulls | 87–61 | 98–89 | 108–68 | 0 | 0 |
| Pyrintö | 0–3 | Kouvot | 85–93 | 83–91 | 78–83 | 0 | 0 |
| Kataja | 1–3 | KTP | 109–72 | 95–98 | 92–100 | 80–96 | 0 |

### Semifinals

| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 | Game 6 | Game 7 |
| Salon Vilpas | 3–4 | Kouvot | 87–86 | 77–85 | 92–91 | 71–88 | 89–73 | 86–95 | 82–91 |
| Karhu | 4–0 | KTP | 106–72 | 101–90 | 94–70 | 79–68 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### Third place game

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| KTP | 98–97 | Salon Vilpas |

### Final

| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 | Game 6 | Game 7 |
| Karhu | 2–1 | Kouvot | 96–86 | 74–88 | 85–78 |

## Relegation playoffs

| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| Ura Basket | 2–0 | LoKoKo Bisons | 126–79 | 90–80 | |

## Finnish clubs in European competitions

| Team | Competition | Progress |
| Karhu | Champions League | Third qualifying round |
| Kataja | FIBA Europe Cup | Second round |