PAO – Real Madrid headlining today’s clashes in the EuroLeague
Yesterday we had a French derby in the EuroLeague, where AS Monaco defeated Paris Basketball in the French capital with a score of 91-79. It was a close game until the halftime break, but then Monaco made a 16-0 run and they had the game totally under control after that. Daniel Theis was the MVP of the game, as the German center scored 21 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in his second EuroLeague game since he returned to Europe from the NBA. Jordan Loyd also had a great game scoring 21 points. From the home team, T.J. Shorts had another good game with 19 points and 5 assists.
Today we have four games scheduled in the EuroLeague. In Vitoria-Gasteiz, Baskonia and Zalgiris are fighting to keep their play-in / playoffs dreams alive. The Lithuanian side is in a better position with a 13-14 record, just one win behind Real Madrid who are in a play-in spot currently and the win in Belgrade in the last round gave confidence to Andrea Trinchieri’s team. However, winning in Vitoria is always very difficult and for Baskonia this is a must-win game as they have an 11-16 record and the margin for error is very small.
In Munich Bayern will host Crvena Zvezda in another game where the two teams are neighbours in the standings. They have the same 16-11 record and share 5th place. Both teams lost in the last round this game is crucial to stay in a playoff spot as teams like Paris, Partizan or Milan are one win behind them. Bayern is slightly the favourite in this game as they play at home, but there will surely be many Zvezda fans in the stands in Munich.
In Italy, Olimpia Milano will host Fenerbahce. The team from Milan had a disappointing season so far but they recently showed a much better form and they have a real shot of making the playoffs where they could be a very dangerous team. For the Turkish side – which is fighting for home-court advantage in the playoffs – this will be their second EuroLeague game this week, as they played in Paris on Monday, winning 87-83. Just like the other three games from today, this one should also be a close encounter.
Finally in Athens, we have a historic derby between Panathinaikos and Real Madrid. The defending EuroLeague champions are currently 3rd in the standings while the Blancos are struggling so far this season. However in the last round, Real won the El Clasico against Barcelona and they have the talent to turn their season around. Still, the Greek team should be the favourite to win today in front of a full OAKA.
Imre Halasz
Image: EuroLeague
