The final round of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season arrives with many scenarios still to be settled, including the final playoff spots still up for grabs, not to mention the order at the top of the standings. Here's your quick guide to Round 34.
Round 34: Plenty on the line in regular-season finales
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Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
Zvezda (16-17) will look to finish with a 50-50 win-loss record and please its ever-loyal fans by downing a Fenerbahce (19-14) team that could finish anywhere between fifth and ninth place. A victory would be enough to seal that fifth slot, whereas defeat would leave the Turkish powerhouse hoping that at least one of Baskonia or Zalgiris loses. To keep matters in its own hands, Fenerbahce will need to somehow put the brakes on Zvezda's all-Argentine backcourt threat of Facundo Campazzo and Luca Vildoza.
ALBA Berlin vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne
After a decent run of form with three wins in the last five games, ALBA (10-23) will aim for another victory against an ASVEL team (8-25) that knows it can only finish at the bottom of the standings after losing 12 games in a row. ALBA has already beaten the French team once this season, triumphing 79-91 on the road in December on the back of 21 points from Jaleen Smith. He also drained 4 triples in last week's victory over Panathinaikos, which ensured that ALBA will not finish the season with the wooden spoon.
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
Baskonia (18-15) faces the huge challenge of gaining the win it needs to secure a playoffs place by traveling to league leader Olympiacos (23-10), which can wrap up top seed status for the postseason by claiming a home victory. Baskonia would be eliminated with a defeat and a Zalgiris victory, and will look to avoid that scenario by relying on the playmaking abilities of Darius Thompson, who excelled with 23 points and 12 assists in last week's record-setting 120-100 victory over ASVEL.
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Real Madrid
Two teams heading for the playoffs meet in a potential dress rehearsal for the postseason as Maccabi (19-13) hosts Real (23-10). Maccabi, which has won five in a row at the Menora Mivtachim Arena, could finish anywhere between fifth and eighth place, whereas the Spanish team could end up first, second or third. Maccabi will have revenge on its mind after suffering a humiliating lost, 98-65, when the teams met in the Spanish capital in January, when Real knocked down 18 three-pointers.
Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
It might be meaningless in terms of playoffs qualification, but there will still be plenty of devotion on display and pride to play for as Virtus (13-20) and Milan (15-18) finish the regular season with an Italian derby. Virtus won 59-64 when the teams met in Milan in November, holding Ettore Messina's men to just 5 three-point conversions on 20 attempts, with Milos Teodosic matching that output at the other end with 5 triples of his own.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. AS Monaco
Eliminated back-to-back champ Efes (16-17) will look to overcome its disappointment at missing out on the playoffs in Friday's opening tip-off by downing fourth-placed Monaco (21-12), the only team in the top eight that has no chance of either improving or worsening its final position in the standings. Monaco leads the league in offensive rebounding with an average of 12.3 per game, and will look for extra possessions against an Efes team which ranks last in that category with just 8.0 offensive boards per night.
FC Bayern Munich vs. Zalgiris Kaunas
Zalgiris (18-15) will know heading into the game the results of Fenerbahce and Baskonia's games on Thursday, and therefore if its chances of reaching the playoffs remain alive. If either of the other two have lost, Zalgiris can punch its ticket to the postseason with a victory in Munich. Host Bayern (11-22) will look to end an injury-hit campaign on a high note by ending a six-game losing run, but will have to work hard for its points against a Zalgiris defense that limited free-scoring Maccabi to just 67 points in a vital win last week.
FC Barcelona vs. Valencia Basket
Barcelona (22-11) ends the regular season by hosting a Spanish east coast derby against a Valencia (15-18) team that would love to end the regular season by ending a five-game and two-month losing sequence on the road. Barca will hope to finish in second place by pairing a victory with a loss for Real, and also has the incentive of bouncing back from last week's loss at Milan. That game saw Saras Jasikevicius's men convert just 13 of 35 two-point attempts, and they will look for much better interior play against their domestic rival.
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Panathinaikos Athens
Playoffs-bound Partizan (19-14) will attempt to give itself a chance of finishing as high as fifth by overcoming a visiting Panathinaikos (11-22) team that only has pride to play for. Partizan is looking to head into the playoffs on a high note by maintaining the free-scoring form that has led to impressive victories over high-flying Monaco, Real Madrid and Olympiacos in the last three weeks. Aleksa Avramovic shone with 22 points in last week's triumph over Monaco and will look to again show the depth of options available to coach Zeljko Obradovic.