The Azerbaijan Basketball League has completed the 19th and penultimate round of its regular season, with three of the four teams advancing directly to the quarter-finals now confirmed.
According to Idman.Biz, the competition’s format grants automatic quarter-final places to the top three teams from Group A and the winner of Group B. In the stronger Group A, Sabah and Absheron Lions have already secured the top two positions, guaranteeing their place in the last eight.
The final direct quarter-final spot from Group A will be contested by Neftchi and Ganja, with the Baku-based club currently holding the advantage ahead of the final round of the regular season.
In Group B, Ordu has already sealed first place and booked its place in the quarter-finals. The remaining eight teams — three from Group A and five from Group B - will continue the competition in the round of 16.
There is still significant intrigue in Group B, where the battle for third to fifth place remains open and will only be decided in the final round.
The round of 16 match-ups are beginning to take shape. The fourth team from Group A will face the sixth team from Group B, Lankaran. Other expected pairings include NTD against the fifth team from Group B, Sheki against the fourth team from Group B, and Nakhchivan against the third team from Group B.
The final, 20th round of the regular season is scheduled to take place between 28 and 31 March, when the remaining playoff positions will be decided.
