There are five games on Thursday night and four on Friday
At a glance: El Clásico highlights another great week of hoops
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Round 12 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague is headlined by El Clásico and also contains many more must-watch matchups in the race for the playoffs. Here’s your guide to the games.
Thursday, November 28
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (19:00 CET)
Zalgiris (7-4) will look to protect its position in the playoff places with a visit from struggling Baskonia (4-7), which is targeting a first road win. Although Zalgiris's prime strength is disciplined defense, recent addition Lonnie Walker is getting better with every game and 19 points from Deividas Sirvydis in last week's win over Panathinaikos showed that he is also a force to be reckoned with. Pablo Laso's men have dropped to five straight losses due to a misfiring offense which has scored less than 70 points in three of those games, and would love to see star guard Markus Howard start to show his undoubted class after going scoreless through Rounds 9 and 10 before netting 12 points last time out.
ALBA Berlin vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (20:00 CET)
Two teams in a rut will battle it out for a much-needed victory as ALBA (2-9) welcomes Maccabi (3-8). The German team must fix a leaky defense which has allowed 98 and 115 points in the last two games, but hopes fast-rising swingman Gabriele Procida can maintain his hot streak after scoring in double digits for five consecutive games. Maccabi has lost four games in a row despite guard Rokas Jokubaitis driving the team with 9.9 points and 5.5 assists per game, and this meeting between the worst and third-worst defenses in the league (respectively allowing 90.5 and 87.1 points per game) could be settled by the question of which team can get some stops.
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (20:30 CET)
Boosted by victory in last week's Belgrade derby, Partizan (3-8) will look to build more momentum with a tough test against high-flying Olympiacos (8-3), which is aiming for a seventh straight win. The increasingly influential Carlik Jones will again look to lead Partizan after masterminding the win over Zvezda with 21 points, but repeating that feat against the outstanding defense of Thomas Walkup will not be easy. The Reds are firing on all cylinders and even the absence of Sasha Vezenkov didn’t matter in last week’s win over Baskonia, as his replacement Alec Peters stepped up by scoring 12 points without a miss from two-point territory. Olympiacos dishes more assists than any other team (21.6 per game), so disrupting that rhythm will be key for Partizan.
Paris Basketball vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (20:30 CET)
Unstoppable Paris (8-3) and the incredible TJ Shorts will aim to make it eight wins in a row with a visit from lowly Virtus (2-9). The visiting team, which has lost three straight, will look to contain Paris's fast-paced style through the physical presence in the paint of Toko Shengelia and Ante Zizic, who combined for 41 points in last week's narrow loss to Fenerbahce. But they will be countered by one of the home team's many threats, versatile forward Mikael Jantunen, who averages 5.3 rebounds per game and also showed his deep threat with 3 triples in last week's win at Efes. Virtus is the worst rebounding team in the league (31.0 per game) so needs to improve that stat to avoid giving more possessions to Paris’s explosive offense.
FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid (20:45 CET)
The world's greatest sporting rivalry will see Barcelona (7-4) aim to recover from consecutive losses as it welcomes Real Madrid (5-6) for El Clásico. After being on the receiving end of Andreas Obst's record three-point shooting night last week, Barcelona will look to strengthen its perimeter defense. Fit-again Dzanan Musa will look to take advantage of any opportunities to strike from deep for Real, and his presence alongside former Azulgrana player Mario Hezonja – who reportedly nearly rejoined the club in the summer – will be a major threat for the hosts to contain. At the other end, Barcelona will look for Jabari Parker to again step up with his energy in transition and long-range shooting ability, while a key battle in the paint will be staged between old masters Jan Vesely and Walter Tavares.
Friday, November 29
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (18:45 CET)
League-leading Fenerbahce (9-2) will aim to protect that position with a visit from Milan (5-6), which is also feeling confident after winning four of the last five. Along with the remarkable consistency of Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fener can count on an improved Marko Guduric, who got back to his best by draining a season-high 21 points in last week’s comeback triumph at Virtus. The Turkish team will have to match the energy and intensity of all-action Zach LeDay, who has made himself a November MVP candidate with an average PIR of 26.4 over the last five games. With Shavon Shields back in action after injury and Nikola Mirotic still performing at a high level – averaging 22.3 points over the last three games – this game could be a lot closer than the standings might suggest.
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. FC Bayern Munich (20:00 CET)
Bayern (8-3) will attempt to maintain a share of second place with a trip to face a Zvezda (5-6) team desperate to bounce back from last week's Belgrade derby defeat. After his record-breaking 11 three-pointers sank Barcelona last time out, Andreas Obst will look to stay hot for a Bayern offense which also has plenty of inside threat through the penetration of Carsen Edwards and the size ox. Zvezda also offers a deep threat through Nemanja Nedovic, who averages 10.1 points per game on 45% three-point shooting, while new leader Filip Petrusev will attempt to maintain the form which has seen him record at least 18 points and 7 rebounds for three consecutive games.
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. AS Monaco (20:15 CET)
In a meeting between two of the four teams currently tied for fifth place, Monaco (7-4) will attempt to inflict a second straight loss on Panathinaikos (7-4). Last week's MVP Elie Okobo, who leads Monaco this season with 14.9 points per game, will test himself in the backcourt against Kendrick Nunn, who averages 20.0 points over the last four games. The Greens are the most accurate three-point shooting team in the league (40.7%), but the usually dangerous Juancho Hernangomez is looking for a return to form after failing to make any triples in the last two games. Monaco forces more turnovers than any other team (14.0 per game), so Panathinaikos will have to resist pressure on the ball to play its game.
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (21:00 CET)
ASVEL (3-8) will look to defend its home court with a visit from an Efes (6-5) team battling to stay in the playoff positions. The French team’s dangerous three-point shooting (40.6%, second best in the league) is propelled by veteran leader David Lighty, who has made 6 of his 8 long-range attempts in the last three games. Efes, which has plenty of reason for confidence after winning its last four games on the road, has a strong inside game with Vincent Poirier partnered in the paint by Dan Oturu, who has blocked 4 shots in the last three games. And that interior presence will be crucial against Theo Maledon, who averages 27.0 points over the last three games.