The playoffs for the Azerbaijan Basketball League (ABL) tipped off today with two high-stakes matchups.

According to Offsideplus.az, the opening day of the postseason featured two closely contested games at the Baku Sports Palace.

In the first game, NTD secured a narrow 97-94 victory over Neftchi, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. Despite a strong performance from the "Black and Whites" in the middle periods, NTD's 24-14 run in the final quarter sealed the win.

The excitement continued in the second matchup between Ordu and Ganja. The game was so evenly matched that regulation time wasn't enough to decide a winner. In a dramatic five-minute overtime period, Ordu managed to edge out their opponents 108-106 to move ahead in the series.

ABL Playoff Results (Game 1):

• Neftchi vs. NTD: 94-97 (22-22, 30-25, 28-26, 14-24)

  • Series: 0-1

• Ordu vs. Ganja: 108-106 (17-20, 21-20, 25-22, 21-22, 24-22)

  • Series: 1-0