The new Play-In Showdown will debut on Tuesday, April 16, and conclude on Friday, April 19. On that Tuesday, the seventh- and eighth-place teams from the regular season will face off in a single game to clinch a spot in the best-of-five quarterfinals vs. the regular season's second-ranked team. The ninth- and 10th-place teams will play a single game whose loser will be eliminated.
The race for the Play-In Showdown
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Then, three days later, the winner of that game will challenge the other Play-In Showdown game loser – either the seventh- or eighth-place team – to decide the final playoff spot for a best-of-five series vs. the top-ranked regular-season team. Each Play-In Showdown game will be hosted by the team with the better regular season finish.
Here are the teams with the best chances to appear in the Play-In Showdown:
Olympiacos Piraeus (15-11)
The Reds are a team that is actually trying to avoid being in the Play-In race and finish among the top six places, which directly qualify for the playoffs. Olympiacos currently holds the sixth spot, but it is above the play-in places only by virtue of having a better point difference than seventh-place Fenerbahce, which it also hosts in Round 34. Olympiacos is positioned well to escape the drama of Play-In basketball, however, it has a tough schedule as it still has to play four road games, three against teams listed below it in the standings – Zalgiris Kaunas, Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (15-11)
Fenerbahce is in the same boat as Olympiacos, a frontrunner in this race, looking towards securing playoff home-court advantage rather than falling into the Play-In Showdown. Its Round 34 road game against the Reds looms large already, but three of Fenerbahce's next four games all come against top eight teams, including fixtures at Real Madrid and home against FC Barcelona. Going in Fenerbahce's favor is that it still has five home games remaining in the last eight rounds, which could be crucial for a team that is 11-1 at home this season.
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (14-12)
Sitting in sole possession of eighth place, Baskonia travels to face Fenerbahce in Round 27. Baskonia edged Fenerbahce earlier this season, so it has a chance to sweep the Canaries with Baskonia already having swept Olympiacos. So, the outcome of that Round 27 contest will determine if Baskonia can contend for top six places, or if the Play-In race is its reality. Baskonia does have one of the toughest remaining schedules among teams on this list, with only three home games the rest of the way. In addition, four of its last five games are on the road, all against playoff or Play-In hopefuls – Partizan, Zalgiris, Real and Virtus Segafredo Bologna.
Valencia Basket (13-13)
One of the toughest remaining schedules belongs to Valencia, which plays only three home games, and five of its last eight come against teams currently ranked above it. Add a Round 33 road game against Partizan to the mix, and it is hard to find a club that has it tougher than Valencia the rest of the way. However, the team has had success away from La Fonteta, as only four teams this season have more than Valencia's five road wins. If it wants to reach the Play-In Showdown, Valencia must add to that road tally.
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (13-13)
No one dares to call any EuroLeague slate of games "easy", and that is especially true for Maccabi, which has no true home games this season. However, currently placed ninth in the standings, seven of Maccabi's last eight games come against teams ranked below in the standings, with a Round 33 tilt at FC Barcelona as the only outlier. Also, Maccabi still faces both already eliminated teams – ALBA Berlin and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. And while losses in key games against Zalgiris, Valencia or Bayern could really hurt its chances, a run of victories would catapult Maccabi up the standings.
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (12-14)
Currently first below the cut line, Partizan has been on a downward spiral, having lost three straight and eight of its last 11 games. In mid-December, Partizan team was tied with Baskonia, Valencia and Maccabi at 9-7 and now it is a game, or two, behind them. So, it is hard to find a team that could use this break more than Coach Zeljko Obradovic's men. What goes in Partizan's favor is having five more games in its packed Stark Arena, including three against direct opponents in this race – Efes in Round 27, Baskonia in Round 30, and Valencia in their regular-season finale. If Partizan restores its confidence, especially on offense, the opportunity is there for the taking.
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (11-15)
Two games back from the Play-In spots, it is hard to gauge Milan's chances. In its last six games, Milan had a home loss against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, and three road defeats, two of which came by a double-digit margin, with resounding home wins over FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in between. Obviously, Milan can beat anyone anywhere, but it has not done so on regular basis. The rest of the way, it will have to protect its home floor when it hosts Partizan, Fenerbahce and Virtus, but those being Milan's only home games, it will also have to get the job done against the likes of Baskonia, AS Monaco, Zalgiris Kaunas and Maccabi on the road.
Zalgiris Kaunas (11-15)
Zalgiris was one of the hottest teams before the break, having won its last three games and four of its last five. Coach Andrea Trinchieri's men play five of their last eight games in what will surely be a sold-out Zalgirio Arena. But each one of those is against a currently higher-ranked team, and it does not get much easier on the road as Zalgiris travels to face Maccabi, FC Bayern Munich and Monaco. Sitting two games behind Valencia and Maccabi, the last two teams currently occupying Play-In positions, it is imperative for Zalgiris not only to stay hot if it wants to reach the postseason, but to beat Maccabi and avoid a season-sweep when they clash in Round 28.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul (11-15)
Efes has used a coaching change to its advantage, and under the guidance of new head of bench Tomislav Mijatovic won two games, including scoring 105 points against Maccabi, a season-high in regulation. Efes will try to continue riding that offense, but it will also need to find a way to win road games, as the team is only 2-11 away from home this season. Efes still has to visit Partizan, ASVEL, Baskonia and Fenerbahce, and might have to win at least two of those games, all while protecting its home floor, to have a shot at a Play-In spot.
FC Bayern Munich (11-15)
Bayern also has ground to make up and, just like Zalgiris, has five home games. What also plays into its advantage is that Bayern already swept Baskonia and Partizan, it can also sweep Valencia and Efes, and Bayern can win head-to-head tiebreakers against Maccabi and Zalgiris. On the schedule, Efes, Zalgiris, Valencia and Maccabi come one after another for Bayern from Round 28 to Round 31, before the team hosts Barcelona and Panathinaikos and travels to Monaco to end the regular season. A look at the standings might not reveal it, but Bayern does control its own destiny.