All set for historic BAL final this weekend

Basketball Africa League (BAL) defending champions Petro de Luanda will seek to retain their title when they come up against Al Ahli Tripoli in the 2025 BAL final on Saturday.

The Angolan champions had to do it the hard way to give themselves another chance at reclaiming the trophy, after overcoming a defeat to APR in the classification matches to win in the knock-outs.

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On Wednesday night, they came up against undefeated Al Ittihad, but prevailed 96-74 to edge closer to being the first team since BAL's inception to win the championship twice.

They also wrote a new history, as they became the first team to reach the BAL final three times.

Petro's heroes on a night when Al Ittihad trailed by as many as 25 points and finished with 15 turnovers were guard Kendrick Ray shot 6-for-8 from deep, leading all players with 21 points, and Aboubacar Gakou, who had 17 points off the bench.

Patrick Gardner also had a huge performance, finishing with 14 points, eight rebounds, and three blocked shots.

Reflecting on the win, Gardner said: "The biggest word that we use as a team is 'sacrifice,' doing whatever is needed to win. Everyone on this team has been doing their job well. It’s great to come out with two wins.”

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In the day's earlier semifinal, Al Ahli Tripoli became the second team from Libya, after Al Ahly Benghazi, to seal a place in the BAL finals after overcoming Rwanda's APR 84-71.

An impressive off-the-bench performance from Caleb Agada, who scored 17 points, helped Al Ahli overcome tight opposition, as their dream run in the BAL finals continued.

Fabian White Jr., who joined Al Ahli Tripoli just days before the Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs, was, however, the game's hero, as he scored a game-high 23 points in 40 minutes to add to more Libyan history in the competition.

"Fabian joined us late, but he played as if he had been part of the team and our game plan for years," Al Ahli Tripoli captain Mohamed Sadi said post-match.

"He is not only a great player, but also an even better person. I love him."

The stage is now set for a very interesting final between both sides, as APR and Al Ittihad battle it out for third place a day earlier on Friday, 13 June.