1998–99 FIBA Saporta Cup

The 1998–99 FIBA Saporta Cup was the thirty-third edition of FIBA's 2nd-tier level European-wide professional club basketball competition. It occurred between September 15, 1998, and April 13, 1999. The final was held at Zaragoza, Spain.

1998–99 FIBA Saporta Cup
League	FIBA Saporta Cup
Sport	Basketball
Final
Champions	Benetton Treviso
Runners-up	Pamesa Valencia
Finals MVP	Henry Williams

Competition system

• 48 teams (national domestic cup champions, plus the best qualified teams from the most important European national domestic leagues), entered a preliminary group stage, divided into eight groups of six teams each, and played a round-robin. The final standings were based on individual wins and defeats. In the case of a tie between two or more teams, after the group stage, the following criteria were used to decide the final classification: 1) number of wins in one-to-one games between the teams; 2) basket average between the teams; 3) general basket average within the group.
• The top four teams from each group qualified for a 1/16 Final Playoff (X-pairings, home and away games), where the winners advanced further to 1/8 Finals, 1/4 Finals, and 1/2 Final.
• The Final was played at a predetermined venue.

Country ranking

For the 1998–1999 FIBA Saporta Cup, the countries are allocated places according to their place on the FIBA country rankings, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 1995–96 to 1997–98.^[1]

Country ranking for 1998–1999 FIBA Saporta Cup

Rank Country Points Teams Notes 1  Greece 237.000 2 2  Italy 222.833 3  Spain 194.500 4  Turkey 92.833 5  France 88.667 6  Russia 67.732 7  Yugoslavia 46.333 8  Germany 38.500 9  Croatia 35.542 10  Lithuania 34.667 11  Slovenia 33.714 12  Israel 31.902 13  Poland 21.524 14  Portugal 19.794 15  Belgium 15.929 16  Ukraine 8.905 -1, Budivelnyk withdrew 17  Macedonia 6.542 1 18  Hungary 6.429 +1, Atomerőmű got wild card 19  Austria 5.417 +1, Stahlbau Oberwart got wild card

Rank Country Points Teams Notes 20  Czech Republic 4.187 1 21  Cyprus 4.083 22  Slovakia 3.944 23  Sweden 3.667 24  England 3.611 -1, London Leopards withdrew 25  Bulgaria 3.361 26  Finland 2.361 27  Netherlands 1.889 28  Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.722 +1, Bosna got wild card 29  Latvia 1.445 +1, Ventspils got wild card 30  Estonia 1.333 31  Romania 1.056 -1,-Dinamo București withdrew 32  Luxembourg 0.889 -1, Racing Luxembourg withdrew 33  Albania 0.694 0 34  Georgia 0.416 35  Switzerland 0.278 36  Denmark 0.111 37  Belarus 0.056 38  Moldova 0.056

Team allocation

The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:

• 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc.: League position after eventual Playoffs
• CW: Cup winners
• WC: Wild card

Regular season
AEK (4th)	Partizan Zepter (3rd)	Śląsk Wrocław (1st)	ASK Brocēni (1st)
Aris (CW)	Budućnost (CW)	Mazowszanka (CW)	Ventspils (WC)
Benetton Treviso (5th)	Ratiopharm Ulm (2nd)	Estrelas da Avenida (1st)	BIPA-Moda Odesa (1st)
Sony Milano (9th)	TVG Trier (CW)	Ovarense Aerosoles (2nd)	MZT Boss Skopje (2nd)
Pinturas Bruguer Badalona (6th)	Zagreb (3rd)	Spirou Charleroi (1st)	Mlékárna Kunín (2nd)
Pamesa Valencia (CW)	Split (4th)	Telindus Racing Antwerpen (2nd)	APOEL (1st)
Tofaş (4th)	Atletas (2nd)	Marc Körmend (CW)	Slovakofarma Pezinok (1st)
Türk Telekom (6th)	Lietuvos rytas (3rd)	Atomerőmű (WC)	Plannja Basket (2nd)
Limoges CSP (2nd)	Kovinotehna Savinjska Polzela (2nd)	UKJ SÜBA Sankt Pölten (1st)	Cherno More (1st)
Cholet (CW)	Pivovarna Laško (3rd)	UBC Stahlbau Oberwart (WC)	Torpan Pojat (1st)
Spartak Moscow (4th)	Hapoel Eilat (2nd)	Feal Široki (1st)	Den Helder (1st)
UNICS (5th)	Hapoel Jerusalem (4th)	Bosna (WC)	Kalev Tallinn (1st)

Preliminary group stage

Key to colors

	Qualified to Round of 32
	Eliminated

Group A Team Pld Pts W L PF PA PD 1. Sony Milano 10 17 7 3 751 693 +58 2. Kalev 10 16 6 4 764 699 +65 3. Kovinotehna Savinjska Polzela 10 16 6 4 705 709 −4 4. Estrelas da Avenida 10 15 5 5 730 737 −7 5. Cherno More 10 13 3 7 755 807 −52 6. Atletas 10 13 3 7 709 769 −60

Group B Team Pld Pts W L PF PA PD 1. Cholet 10 18 8 2 815 675 +140 2. Türk Telekom 10 17 7 3 768 722 +46 3. Split 10 15 5 5 800 760 +40 4. Slovakofarma Pezinok 10 15 5 5 759 771 −12 5. MZT Boss Skopje 10 13 3 7 738 805 −67 6. Mlékárna Kunín 10 12 2 8 755 902 −147

Group C Team Pld Pts W L PF PA PD 1. Pamesa Valencia 10 20 10 0 805 678 +117 2. Budućnost 10 16 6 4 780 767 +13 3. Śląsk Wrocław 10 15 5 5 729 706 +23 4. ASK Brocēni 10 15 5 5 798 815 −17 5. SÜBA Sankt Pölten 10 12 2 8 701 768 −67 6. Hapoel Eilat 10 12 2 8 771 850 −79

Group D Team Pld Pts W L PF PA PD 1. Partizan Zepter 10 19 9 1 850 744 +106 2. Pivovarna Laško 10 17 7 3 836 803 +33 3. AEK 10 17 7 3 757 695 +62 4. Atomerőmű 10 13 3 7 758 816 −58 5. Zagreb 10 13 3 7 701 780 −79 6. Torpan Pojat 10 11 1 9 727 791 −64

Group E Team Pld Pts W L PF PA PD 1. Tofaş 10 17 7 3 774 650 +124 2. Hapoel Jerusalem 10 17 7 3 770 707 +63 3. Spirou Charleroi 10 17 7 3 680 682 −2 4. Lietuvos rytas 10 16 6 4 757 776 −19 5. Marc Körmend 10 12 2 8 723 841 −118 6. Bosna 10 11 1 9 672 720 −48

Group F Team Pld Pts W L PF PA PD 1. Aris 10 19 9 1 799 637 +162 2. Limoges CSP 10 17 7 3 711 637 +74 3. Telindus Racing Antwerpen 10 15 5 5 708 736 −28 4. TVG Trier 10 14 4 6 741 781 −40 5. Plannja 10 13 3 7 756 802 −46 6. Feal Široki 10 12 2 8 653 775 −122

Group G Team Pld Pts W L PF PA PD 1. Pinturas Bruguer Badalona 10 19 9 1 855 703 +152 2. Ratiopharm Ulm 10 17 7 3 775 759 +16 3. Ventspils 10 15 5 5 860 813 +47 4. Mazowszanka 10 14 4 6 751 783 −32 5. APOEL 10 13 3 7 689 736 −47 6. Spartak Moscow 10 12 2 8 770 906 −136

Group H Team Pld Pts W L PF PA PD 1. Benetton Treviso 10 20 10 0 822 644 +177 2. UNICS 10 15 5 5 757 748 +9 3. Ovarense Aerosoles 10 14 4 6 682 697 −15 4. Stahlbau Oberwart 10 14 4 6 691 748 −57 5. Den Helder 10 14 4 6 593 639 −46 6. BIPA-Moda Odesa 10 12 3 7 655 724 −69

Round of 32

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Slovakofarma Pezinok	161–152	Sony Milano	89–77	72–75
Split	152–139	Kalev	83–77	69–62
Kovinotehna Savinjska Polzela	123–141	Türk Telekom	70–64	53–77
Estrelas da Avenida	114–159	Cholet	59–75	55–84
Atomerőmű	133–153	Pamesa Valencia	70–71	63–82
AEK	129–135	Budućnost	66–61	63–74
Śląsk Wrocław	149–153	Pivovarna Laško	81–82	68–71
ASK Brocēni	173–184	Partizan Zepter	84–97	89–87
Trier	140–172	Tofaş	70–92	70–80
Telindus Racing Antwerpen	133–158	Hapoel Jerusalem	67–64	66–94
Spirou Charleroi	136–130	Limoges CSP	60–61	76–69
Lietuvos rytas	149–161	Aris	77–76	72–85
Stahlbau Oberwart	130–187	Pinturas Bruguer Badalona	66–92	64–95
Ovarense Aerosoles	129–141	Ratiopharm Ulm	66–62	63–79
Ventspils	167–147	UNICS	88–73	79–74
Mazowzanka	130–145	Benetton Treviso	70–62	60–83

Round of 16

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Budućnost	171–149	Slovakofarma Pezinok	86–68	85–81
Pivovarna Laško	159–154	Cholet	77–68	82–86
Split	151–163	Pamesa Valencia	76–79	75–84
Türk Telekom	113–161	Partizan Zepter	70–85	43–76
Ratiopharm Ulm	135–153	Tofaş	65–74	70–79
Ventspils	137–144	Aris	73–65	64–79
Hapoel Jerusalem	155–166	Pinturas Bruguer Badalona	81–73	74–93
Spirou Charleroi	127–145	Benetton Treviso	66–70	61–75

Quarterfinals

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Budućnost	149–129	Tofaş	67–65	82–64
Aris	158–144	Pivovarna Laško	95–72	63–72
Pamesa Valencia	123–119	Pinturas Bruguer Badalona	57–50	66–69
Benetton Treviso	163–150	Partizan Zepter	90–77	73–73

Semifinals

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Benetton Treviso	96–60	Budućnost	76–60	20–0*
Pamesa Valencia	128–114	Aris	70–64	58–50

*The second leg which was scheduled to be played in Podgorica, was cancelled due to the war situation in Yugoslavia. Although FIBA accepted a neutral venue (Thessaloniki, Greece) to play this game, the Yugoslav players couldn't get out of their country because of the military conflict, and therefore FIBA definitely cancelled this match and awarded a forfeit (20–0) to Benetton Treviso.

Final

April 13, Pabellón Príncipe Felipe, Zaragoza

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Benetton Treviso	64–60	Pamesa Valencia

1998–99 FIBA Saporta Cup Champions
Benetton Treviso 2nd title

Awards

FIBA Saporta Cup Finals MVP

• Henry Williams ( Benetton Treviso)