By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
After 24 years, ALBA Berlin returned under FIBA’s umbrella by joining the Basketball Champions League.
The German team fell to Chalon/Saône in its opener but bounced back with its first BCL victory, defeating Sabah 76-85 on the road in Baku.
Boogie Ellis led Pedro Calles’s squad with 17 points, while J’Wan Roberts recorded a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds. Norris Agbakoko followed with 12 points, and Moses Wood added 11.
On the other side, Justin Tillman paced Sabah with 22 points and seven rebounds. Keith Jordan followed with 14, while James Eads, Klavs Cavars, and Jean-Marc Pansa chipped in 11 points each. Hassani Gravett added five points, along with 10 assists and nine rebounds.
The score was tied after the first 10 minutes, but ALBA pulled away in the second quarter to take a 36–29 halftime lead. The visitors extended the gap to 59–47 in the third period and entered the final frame with a double-digit cushion. ALBA controlled the tempo down the stretch to secure a comfortable win.