Today, the third game of the final series of the Azerbaijan Basketball League (ABL) between the clubs "Sabah" and "Absheron Lions" will take place.
Idman.Biz reports that three wins are enough for the championship in the 2025/2026 season. In the previous season, the teams had to win four times for the title. Currently, the score in the series is 2:0 in favor of "Sabah," and the team can secure its fourth consecutive title today.
However, "Absheron Lions" is not expected to surrender without a fight. The team can put up serious resistance, as it did in the first game - 93:98 (31:23, 19:24, 24:22, 19:29). The second meeting ended with a more confident victory for "Sabah" - 112:84 (19:35, 20:22, 23:26, 22:29).
In the regular championship, the teams faced each other four times, and "Absheron Lions" managed to defeat their opponent only once - 101:97. Thus, the "lions" are the only team that has defeated the ABL leader this season. However, repeating this success will not be easy. Because Erkhan Toker's team is playing in the final series with a limited squad due to injuries to several key players.
"Sabah" is a three-time champion of Azerbaijan. The previous final series in the ABL were as follows:
2022/2023
"Sabah" - "Ganja": 3-2 (71:69, 74:78, 93:90, 90:93, 86:85);
2023/2024
"Sabah" - "Nakhchivan": 3-1 (70:95, 94:63, 75:59, 74:69);
2024/2025
"Sabah" - "Neftchi": 4-2 (94:89, 86:77, 76:79, 66:84, 107:89, 83:78).
If "Sabah" wins today, the final series will be remembered as the shortest series in the renewed history of the Azerbaijan basketball championship.
It should be noted that this season is of particular importance for "Sabah." As such, the football club, which is part of the same sports structure, has also recently secured the championship in the Misli Premier League.