Astana travelled to Baku to play two friendly games against local side Sabah. With a pause in both the Kazakhstan National League and WASL schedule, the trip was a good chance to keep the team sharp — and Sabah, also in the middle of a break in their own season, provided exactly the kind of competition Astana were looking for. Both games were played at a high tempo and produced plenty of points.
The first matchup turned into a real shootout and went Astana’s way. The teams traded runs and played open, attacking basketball throughout. Sabah held a slim advantage in the first half (27–18, 20–22), and the third quarter stayed tight (33–32), but Astana finished stronger and swung the game late to secure a 110–102 win. E.J. Day led the way with 31 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, with Robert Pan adding 27 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Askar Maidyekin finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds, while Alexander Zhigulin contributed 10 points and 6 rebounds.
The second game played out differently, with Sabah in control for most of the night. The hosts led after each of the first three quarters (28–21, 24–20, 18–17). Astana tried to claw their way back in the final period (25–24), but Sabah held on to take the win 94–83. Astana’s leading scorers were Alexander Zhigulin (21 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists), Robert Pan (19 points, 8 rebounds), E.J. Day (12 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds), Adas Juškevičius (12 points, 5 assists) and Vadim Shcherbak (11 points).
The two games finished 1–1, exactly as friendlies often do. Astana now return home to close out the Kazakhstan National League regular season with two games against Caspiy on 10 and 11 April at the Saryarka Velodrome, starting at 19:00 and 17:00 accordingly.
 «Samruk-Kazyna» National Welfare Fund |
 Uniform operator «Tourism Industry and Sports Support Fund» |
