Zvezda (10-20) must overcome its disappointment at suffering elimination from postseason action as it welcomes a Virtus (17-13) team also needing a change of fortunes.
Game Notes: Zvezda vs. Virtus
Virtus seeks to bounce back from a bad night in Kaunas earlier this week, when a career-high 15 points from Rihards Lomazs was nowhere near enough to prevent a heavy defeat, meaning the Italian team has now suffered six consecutive road losses. Zvezda's latest defeat came at home against Panathinaikos on Wednesday, but the return of Milos Teodosic and Nemanja Nedovic after injury will give hope that a six-game losing run can be ended on Friday. Toko Shengelia netted 19 points to lead Virtus past Zvezda, 85-79, in October, and his leadership will be vital for Luca Banchi's faltering team.
- The home team has won each of the three previous meetings between Zvezda and Virtus, including Virtus' 85-79 win in Round 4, in which Isaia Cordinier posted 11 points, 6 assists and a career-high 3 blocks.
- In the first official meeting ever between Zvezda and Virtus, in Round 11 of last season, Zvezda registered an 83-74 win behind 20 points from Ognjen Dobric, who joined Virtus this summer.
- Dobric grew up with Zvezda. He has spent the past seven years wearing Zvezda's jersey, having come through the club's youth academy. During his six EuroLeague campaigns with the club, he had 153 appearances and was a teammate of current Zvezda players Branko Lazic, Stefan Lazarevic, Dejan Davidovac and Dalibor Ilic.
- Davidovac has also been a teammate of Dobric on the Serbian national team. Together, they won the silver medal at the 2023 World Cup.
- Milos Teodosic spent the last four seasons at Virtus, helping the team win the 2022 EuroCup title as the EuroCup Finals MVP.
- Zvezda guard Adam Hanga and Virtus forward Tornike Shengelia were teammates at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz for two seasons, from 2015 to 2017. Together, they helped the team reach the 2016 Final Four.
- Zvezda center Joel Bolomboy and the Virtus trio of Iffe Lundberg, Tornike Shengelia and Daniel Hackett all were teammates at CSKA Moscow for two seasons, from 2020 to 2022. Bolomboy and Hackett were teammates for four seasons at CSKA, from 2018 to 2022, and won the 2019 EuroLeague together.
- Davidovac and Virtus big man Davontae Cacok were teammates at CSKA Moscow the second part of last season.
- Virtus guard Daniel Hackett played under Zvezda head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos at Olympiacos Piraeus for two seasons, from 2015 to 2017. They reached the EuroLeague 2017 championship game together.
- Daniel Hackett and Zvezda big man Luka Mitrovic were teammates at Brose Bamberg in the 2017-18 season.
- Virtus center Ante Zizic played for two season, from 2020 to 2022, under current Zvezda head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos at Maccabi Tel Aviv.
- Zvezda forward Dalibor Ilic posted his career highs in PIR (19) and rebounds (7) in an 84-72 road loss against Virtus in January of last season.
- Virtus forward Jordan Mickey posted career highs in two-pointers made (13), rebounds (11) and blocks (5), playing for Khimki Moscow Region against Crvena Zvezda in March 2021.
- Virtus big man Bryant Dunston matched his career high with 21 points in an 85-84 win over Crvena Zvezda in December 2015.
- Daniel Hackett set his career highs in PIR (39) and three-pointers made (6) in an overtime loss against Zvezda in October 2020.