EuroLeague Round 30: What to expect and who to watch?

Round 30 of the EuroLeague brings us nine thrilling matchups. To gain a better understanding of what to expect from these games and who to watch, sit back, relax, and delve into our preview of the round!

Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs Olympiacos (19 March, 19:30 EET)

While Anadolu Efes has won only two out of 15 games on the road this season, they are a different team at home – out of 14 games played, they have won ten, including five out of the last six. However, they face Olympiacos, one of the EuroLeague’s best away teams, who have won three consecutive games on the road.

The success of Georgios Bartzokas’ team is evident as they have won six consecutive games in the EuroLeague. Somewhat surprising is the fact that in two of these six games, Olympiacos had to play catch-up by halftime.

Speaking of players, finally, Will Clyburn, who has been troubled by injuries both last season and this season, is showing his true form. The Efes forward has averaged 18 points in the last three games, shooting 43% from beyond the arc.

With Clyburn and Shane Larkin leading the way, Efes’ offense remains strong, but they will be seriously tested against Olympiacos’ defense. The Greek giant has allowed opponents to score only 70 points per game in the last three games, the best defensive record in the EuroLeague.

Meanwhile, Efes has allowed 90 points per game, which is the third-worst result in the league. In other words, if Olympiacos can impose their defensive prowess, Efes don’t have a very good chance of winning even on their home court.

Zalgiris Kaunas vs Virtus Bologna (19 March, 20:00 EET)

The tenure of head coach Andrea Trinchieri, brought to Žalgiris mid-season, started promisingly, but currently, they have lost three consecutive games in the EuroLeague, and in the previous round, they managed to score only 58 points against Bayern Munich. They could have scored even fewer points, but Keenan Evans went on a scoring spree in the final minutes and scored 14 points in a row.

Virtus, which stayed in the top three of the table in the first half of the season, is also not in great form, having suffered two consecutive losses.

In defense, Virtus’ main goal is to contain Evans. In the last nine Euroleague games where the American has played at least 25 minutes, he has scored a minimum of 18 points. Therefore, the possible absence of Virtus’ defensive backcourt anchor, Daniel Hackett, is particularly significant.

However, Hackett’s absence wouldn’t be a catastrophe, as there are other strong defenders in the backcourt in the form of Ognjen Dobrić and Alessandro Pajola.

Similarly, Žalgiris might have an important absentee against Virtus – Latvian player Rolands Šmits injured his right leg against Bayern in the second quarter and did not return to the court.

ALBA Berlin vs Real Madrid (19 March, 21:00 EET)

Real hasn’t lost a single one of their 15 matchups against ALBA, and truth be told, there’s no indication that the Berlin club should end this unfortunate streak on Tuesday, because while ALBA is at the bottom of the table, Real leads the EuroLeague.

The biggest weakness of the German team is their defense. In the last three games, they have allowed opponents to score an average of 94.7 points per game, and they have also struggled in rebounding.

Teams that operate very cohesively pose a particular challenge for ALBA, and in this regard, Real is one of the best teams in the EuroLeague.

Maccabi Tel Aviv vs ASVEL Villeurbanne (19 March, 21:05 EET)

After the EuroLeague returned from a three-week break at the end of February, Maccabi has shown its best performances of the season. They’ve earned three consecutive victories, although the schedule has been generous to them, as the Israeli club has played against opponents ranked lower in the standings.

Although ASVEL may be second to last in the standings, they have won two out of their last three games, even though they flirted with giving up a significant lead in the fourth quarter against both Efes and Milano. Overall, ASVEL is the type of team that punishes anyone underestimating them.

Credit must be given to Pierric Poupet, who became the head coach of the French team in January, as under his guidance, the team’s defense has notably improved compared to his predecessors T. J. Parker and Gianmarco Pozzecco. While ASVEL may not be a top defensive team, they are slightly better than average, considering their performances in the last three games.

ASVEL’s defense will be severely tested against Maccabi. Wade Baldwin and Lorenzo Brown form one of the best backcourt duos in the EuroLeague, and center Josh Nebo has also been excellent after the break. His averages are 14.3 points and nine rebounds, with 4.7 coming from the offensive end.

Nebo’s good form on the offensive glass could continue against ASVEL, as in the last three games, the French team has allowed opponents to grab 11.7 offensive rebounds per game. Only Crvena Zvezda Belgrade has a worse statistic (12.3).

Partizan Belgrade vs Baskonia (19 March, 21:30 EET)

In the last eight matchups between these two clubs, the home team has emerged victorious every time. However, this is only a good omen for Partizan, as the performances of the Serbian giant have been very inconsistent and rather poor this season.

Although Partizan has won only one out of their last six games in the EuroLeague, they have emerged victorious in ten out of their last twelve home games. With Partizan having chances to reach the play-in, the Stark Arena will undoubtedly be packed, providing the home team with tremendous energy. This comes at a time when their main power forward Zach LeDay, who has been in excellent form lately, might miss the game due to personal reasons, as he had to fly to the USA.

The last time Partizan played at home in the EuroLeague, Aleksa Avramović scored a career-high 30 points against Efes. In the following two games, the Serbian player has continued his good form, averaging an impressive 25.3 points in his last three matches.

However, Avramović has made many difficult shots, so it’s hard to see if he can sustain his momentum, but perhaps the shooting guard has reached a completely new level after the break…
It’s clear that Baskonia is a suitable opponent for Partizan. Partizan is primarily destroyed in the paint, but Baskonia lacks any dominant forces under the basket.

Fenerbahce Istanbul vs Barcelona (20 March, 19:45 EET)

Fenerbahce is one of the four clubs to return from the break with three consecutive victories. However, while Maccabi has faced favorable opponents, the Turkish club has had to contend with teams like Baskonia and Real.

In the previous round against Valencia, Fenerbahce set a EuroLeague record by making 24 three-pointers. Seven players contributed from beyond the arc, with Tyler Dorsey hitting eight out of nine attempts and Scottie Wilbekin making six out of ten.

Although Barcelona has won two consecutive away games, Fenerbahce boasts the best home win percentage this season in the EuroLeague, having lost only one out of 14 games.

It’s surprising to see how Fenerbahce has become unstoppable offensively over time, considering that head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius’ style has typically been defense-oriented. While Fenerbahce’s defense hasn’t statistically been great in the last three rounds, they put up a defensive masterclass against Real.

Fenerbahce is in such good form that it’s difficult to envision a Barcelona victory in this game.

Monaco vs Milan (20 March, 20:00 EET)

Currently, the representatives of the Principality have the longest winning streak in the EuroLeague, having defeated eight opponents in a row. They have won six consecutive home matches, with an average margin of 16 points.

On the contrary, winning away games is a rare feat for Milano. Out of the last 17 away matches, they have won only two, and in the past six away games, the Italian club has failed to surpass the 80-point mark.

Monaco’s key to success lies in their defense. In the last three games, opponents have been held to an average of 76.3 points, with only 26% shooting from beyond the arc against them. From Milano’s perspective, this is concerning as they like to shoot a lot of three-pointers.

Milano has struggled defensively in the last three rounds. For instance, opponents have shot 42% from three-point range, and Monaco boasts plenty of sharpshooters from downtown.

One of them is Élie Okobo. The Frenchman has averaged 14 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in the last three games and is playing his best basketball of the season.

Crvena Zvezda Belgrade vs Panathinaikos Athens (20 March, 21:00 EET)

Panathinaikos has won four consecutive meetings against Zvezda and is also the heavy favorite for Wednesday’s match, as the hosts have lost five games in a row in the EuroLeague. They have failed to secure their home court advantage, losing five out of the last seven battles held at the Stark Arena.

It’s interesting to note that Panathinaikos, who lost 65-71 to Olympiacos in last round’s Greek derby, is the only EuroLeague club this season that hasn’t lost two consecutive matches.

When talking about Zvezda, it’s impossible to ignore the injury crisis in their backcourt. Both Nikola Topić and team leader Milos Teodosić have missed the last few rounds, Nemanja Nedović was absent in the previous round, and Yago dos Santos got injured against Maccabi.

Considering Zvezda’s recent struggles in defense and rebounding, a big game can be expected from Panathinaikos’ center Mathias Lessort. The Frenchman’s averages in the last three games are 18 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and 1.3 blocks.

Valencia vs Bayern Munich (20 March, 21:30 EET)

Valencia is on a downward trend, having lost four consecutive games in the EuroLeague. Making their situation even bleaker is the fact that starting center Brandon Davies injured his calf in the previous round against Fenerbahce and will be sidelined for at least the next two games.

Meanwhile, Bayern has gained momentum. They are chasing the last play-in spot and are tied with Valencia and Partizan with 13 wins and 16 losses in the standings. Of their last four games, the Munich club has won three, aided by a favorable schedule.

The most surprising aspect regarding Valencia is that their otherwise strong defensive team has completely collapsed in the last three rounds. They have conceded an average of 97.7 points per game, the worst in the EuroLeague.

Moreover, Valencia’s opponents have shot 47% from three-point range and dished out 24.7 assists, both of which are the worst in the EuroLeague and illustrate that the team is in awful form.

Davies’ absence could give Bayern’s big men more opportunities to shine. Serge Ibaka and Devin Booker are in good form, with the latter particularly standing out. In the last three games, the American has averaged 16.7 points and 5.7 rebounds.