Neftchi Baku beat Pärnu 80:67 in the FIBA Europe Cup on 23 September 2026. The hosts moved further clear in second place while the visitors extended a winless run that now stretches to five games.
By then the gap was already showing. Pärnu had lost their last five matches by margins of 20 points or more against TallTech and Tartu University, and this result followed the same pattern. They had nothing to do all evening.
Neftchi Baku sit second with three wins and three losses from six games. Their recent form has been uneven — they lost to Absheron Lions and Bigbank/Kalev before picking up three straight victories, including a 104:86 win over Absheron Lions. They got over the line here without much fuss.
The visitors are in a different situation entirely. Those five defeats came against Estonian opposition, and the scores tell you everything: 77:97, 72:79, 85:88, 72:76, 63:70. They were out of sight by half-time, and they stayed that way.
And here's the thing about the standings. Neftchi Baku are two points behind whoever leads the table, and this result keeps them within striking distance. Pärnu are not far behind in the relegation battle, but they need a win they haven't found in a while.
