Round 15 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague features a French derby and a battle between second and third in another exciting set of games. Here’s your overview of this week’s action.
At a glance: Lots to get excited about in Round 15
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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. AS Monaco
A heavyweight battle will tip off the round as second-placed Fenerbahce (10-4) welcomes Monaco (9-5), one of the three teams tied for third. The hosts can always rely on inspiration from Nigel Hayes-Davis, who powered the Round 14 win at Real Madrid with 33 points to become the weekly MVP. He will be countered by Vitto Brown, who delivered his best performance of the season with 17 points and 7 rebounds in Monaco’s comfortable win over ALBA on Friday. That game again saw Monaco fulfill the ball-sharing philosophy of Coach Vassilis Spanoulis – who this week has his first-ever coaching duel with former teammate Sarunas Jasikevicius – by dishing 23 assists, so Fenerbahce guards Arturs Zagars and Wade Baldwin will have to work hard defensively to stop the visiting team from establishing its rhythm.
ALBA Berlin vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade
Fast-rising Partizan (6-8) will look to make it five straight wins – and potentially climb into the top 10 – with a trip to lowly ALBA (3-11). The German team has young playmaker Matteo Spagnolo in strong form with double digits scoring in three straight games, but the Italian faces a tough task against Partizan dynamo Carlik Jones, who continued his great form by averaging 18.5 points and 7 assists in last week’s back-to-back home wins over Zalgiris and Panathinaikos. His namesake Tyrique Jones is also in great form in the paint, registering a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) against Panathinaikos, so he’ll be a handful for ALBA’s entertaining big man Trevion Williams – who's averaged 11.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna
Two teams aiming for a change in direction meet as inconsistent Baskonia (6-8) welcomes last-placed Virtus (2-12). New Virtus coach Dusko Ivanovic will take charge for the first time on familiar territory against his former club, which has been strong in Vitoria with a 5-2 home record. The Italian team’s latest loss, at home to Zvezda on Friday, came despite another good game from forward Will Clyburn, who's averaged 22.3 points and 7.3 rebounds over the last three games. Baskonia also suffered defeat last time out, with a big double-double from Chima Moneke (25 points, 11 boards) not enough to overcome Bayern in Munich. The power of Moneke and Donta Hall against Clyburn and Toko Shengelia could be key in what’s likely to be a physical battle.
Real Madrid vs. Zalgiris Kaunas
Struggling Real (6-8) faces a stern test with a visit from Zalgiris (8-6). A pair of star guards will attempt to outdo each other, with the smooth distribution of Facu Campazzo (7.9 assists per game) going against the scoring skills of Lonnie Walker (16.3 points per night on 44.3% three-point shooting), who was reportedly close to joining Real before signing on with Zalgiris. The Spanish team has struggled for production off the bench, so the visitors will have to be ready to compete for the full 40 minutes through the energy of guard Dovydas Giedraitis, the only Zalgiris player to have started every game. Denying long-range looks to Dzanan Musa and Mario Hezonja will also be key for a Zalgiris defense that has allowed fewer points than any other team (74.9 per game).
FC Bayern Munich vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv
High-flying Bayern (9-5) will look to make it eight home wins out of eight with a visit from a Maccabi team (4-10) that has won just once on the road all season. The visiting team will have to find an answer for Devin Booker, who has been unstoppable recently and averaged 22.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5 assists over last week’s two games, so the likes of Levi Randolph (11.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game) will need to step up for the visiting team. Maccabi also has to deal with the backcourt threat of league-leading scorer Carsen Edwards (20.4 points per game) and can try to control the game through pass master Tamir Blatt, who tops the EuroLeague in assists with 8.6 per night.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens
Reigning champ Panathinaikos (8-6) will continue its quest for consistency with a crunch clash against Coach Ergin Ataman and forward Cedi Osman’s former club, Efes (7-7). Both teams lost last time out, with the Greens falling at Partizan while Efes was stifled by Zalgiris. The Greens will try to feed off the energy of center Mathias Lessort, who also showed his distribution skills by dishing a personal best 5 assists in the loss at Partizan, so the Turkish team’s big man Derek Willis will need to show the rebounding power that saw him grab 8 boards in Kaunas last time out. Elijah Bryant (13 points per game) has been Efes’s go-to guard during the injury absence of Shane Larkin, and he needs a big performance against an extremely deep Panathinaikos backcourt.
FC Barcelona vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
Rejuvenated by last week’s much-needed comeback victory at Maccabi, Barcelona (8-6) will try to overcome direct rival and red-hot Milan (8-6) in a key battle between two of the four teams currently tied for sixth place. Former Barca hero Nikola Mirotic, who leads the league in PIR with 23.7 per game, will play a central role on his return to Palau Blaugrana, and the host will try to counter him with the scoring skills of Jabari Parker, who paired 18 points and 9 rebounds in the win at Maccabi. That game also saw a return to form by former Milan shooter Kevin Punter, netting 18 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting, who faces a long-range duel with Milan veteran Fabien Causeur, who's averaged 7.7 points on 55.2% three-point shooting.
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Olympiacos Piraeus
A meeting of two clubs with a long-standing close relationship will be far from friendly as Zvezda (7-7) welcomes Olympiacos (9-5). The Greek giant ended the double-round week by losing its 100% home record against Paris, whereas Zvezda boosted its playoffs challenge with a strong win at Virtus. Former Olympiacos sniper Isaiah Canaan was instrumental to that success with 26 points, but Filip Petrusev – shining on loan for Zvezda from Olympiacos – cannot suit up for this game. Olympiacos will look to tighten up defensively after allowing 96 points in the loss to Paris, while also hoping that sharpshooter Evan Fournier continues to threaten from long-range after netting multiple triples in nine straight games. The visitors will also hope to gain extra possessions through Nikola Milutinov, who tops the league with 3.9 offensive rebounds per game.
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Paris Basketball
A French derby will see dangerous ASVEL (5-9) receive a visit from league-leading Paris (11-3). Two of this season’s top performers will go head to head in a mouthwatering backcourt duel as Theo Maledon (18.4 points per game) goes up against TJ Shorts (18.6 points, 7.9 assists). ASVEL will have confidence after winning three in a row at home, and a key could be whether the home team has success from long-range: ASVEL ranks fifth in the league for three-point conversion (38.1%, led by veteran David Lighty with 48.5% of triples made), but Paris has the competition’s third-best perimeter defense (31% of three-pointers allowed). ASVEL will look to slow down the visitors through the excellent defense of Paris Lee against Shorts, so Maodo Lo could also have a key role in keeping the Paris attack rolling.