Match Preview
Sabah Baku struggled in the FIBA Champions League last season, registering five defeats in six appearances. They signed a couple of interesting players during the summer, though, hoping to be more competitive in the upcoming weeks.
Rytas Coming Off a Disappointing LKL Opener
Rytas started the new season by participating in the International Cup in Beijing, where they defeated RSBB Tigers 107-89 and Shanghai 107-66 to finish top of the group.
The Lithuanian side then eliminated Boca Juniors 77-70 in the semifinals, while surprisingly losing the final to G League United 89-86, mainly due to a disastrous third quarter (9-26).
Rytas started the new season with a shocking 105-102 defeat against Gargzdai in the LKL, where field-goal shooting was good (53%), but they missed 10 of 32 free throws. Matas Jogela was their standout performer with 20 points and 7/11 FG shooting.
Sabah Baku Looking for Better European Results
Sabah Baku participated in the FIBA Champions League last season, where they recorded just one victory in six rounds and finished bottom of Group B.
They successfully defended their title in the Azerbaijani top flight by defeating Absheron Lions 3-0 in the grand finals.
Their only pre-season friendly was in early September, getting outplayed by Zalgiris 112-78 in Kaunas.