There's still plenty to be decided as we reach the final round of the regular season. Here's your guide to the action with home-court advantage in the playoffs and play-in qualification up for grabs.
This week: Plenty left to decide in Round 34
![This week: Plenty left to decide in Round 34](https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/7b0b0c03-7c36-4216-b248-fb14d649f8d0.jpg?crop=2703%3A1520%3Anowe%3A257%3A110)
Thursday, April 11
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Real Madrid
After suffering elimination last week, Zalgiris (14-19) will aim to go out on a high note and delight its loyal legion of fans with a visit from reigning champ and regular season standings leader Real (26-7). The Lithuanian champion has won three in a row at home and has beaten Real in Kaunas in each of the last two seasons. Los Blancos prevailed in Madrid in October, 93-79, led by 18 points and 9 assists from Facu Campazzo, and is looking to bounce back before the playoffs after losing at home to Baskonia last week. Campazzo faces an entertaining backcourt duel with Zalgiris leader Keenan Evans, who has scored at least 14 points in nine straight games but could only manage 8 in October's meeting.
AS Monaco vs. FC Bayern Munich
Monaco (22-11) knows that victory will be enough to grab home-court advantage for the playoffs with a visit from Bayern (13-20), which aims to reverse a recent slide of four consecutive losses that spelled postseason elimination. Monaco grabbed an 80-91 win in Munich earlier this season behind 28 points from the inevitable Mike James (18.7 points per game), who is locked in a battle with Baskonia's Markus Howard (19 points per game) to finish the regular season as top scorer. Monaco, which has won all five previous meetings between the teams, will also look to the defensive talents of John Brown to make like difficult for Bayern, with his average of 1.2 steals leading a smothering Monaco defense that has forced more turnovers (13.5 per game) than any other team.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade
Efes (16-17) knows that victory will be enough to secure a place in the play-in as it faces a Zvezda team (11-22) that will finish the season 16th, win or lose. The Turkish team is in fabulous form, keeping its season alive with four straight victories. Shane Larkin, the league leader in PIR (20.5 per game), received great help in last week's Istanbul derby triumph over Fenerbahce from Will Clyburn, who has returned to his best after an injury-hit campaign with double digits scoring in the last eight games. Zvezda has lost eight of the last nine games to finish the season in disappointing fashion, failing to win on the road since January, but battled hard against playoff-bound Olympiacos last week as Joel Bolomboy powered the paint with 19 points and 12 rebounds. The Serbian team will play with pride as its challenge concludes.
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
Consigned to a seventh-place finish by last week's narrow loss at Barcelona, Maccabi (19-14) will aim to take on last victory before the Play-In Showdown against a Milan team needing a win and help from elsewhere to survive (15-18). October's meeting between the teams saw Maccabi triumph 90-98 behind a season-high 21 points from Jasiel Rivero and he will feature in a big battle for physical supremacy alongside teammates Josh Nebo and Bonzie Colson, that trio going up against Milan's experienced Nikola Mirotic, Nicolo Melli and Johannes Voigtmann. Mitotic's double-double of 18 points and 11 boards was key in last week's vital victory over Virtus, showing Ettore Messina's men are not ready to give up on their postseason hopes and will look to exploit a Maccabi side whose minds may be elsewhere.
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. ALBA Berlin
Panathinaikos (22-11) will aim to seal home-court advantage in the playoffs with a visit from ALBA (5-28), which knows it will finish in last place after losing 10 games in a row. The Greens are huge favorites to get the job done, showing unstoppable recent home strength with eight straight wins in Athens. The Greek team came out on top 85-99 as Dinos Mitoglou poured in 24 points with 12 rebounds in Berlin in October. And ALBA faces a massive task in slowing down a multifaceted Panathinaikos offense, typified by Juancho Hernangomez scoring 14 points with just one miss to help down Bayern last week. In the backcourt, Kendrick Nunn is playing with great confidence after averaging 17.4 points in the last five games, with multiple triples in each of those.
Friday, April 12
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
A heavyweight finale to the regular season will see Olympiacos (21-12) battle for the hope of keeping its slender top-four ambitions alive with a visit from a Fenerbahce (20-13) team that can no longer fight for that prize. Fenerbahce prevailed in their Round 6 showdown in Istanbul, with 15 points from Georgios Papagiannis helping ensure a 79-77 triumph. But Olympiacos has a new weapon in the paint since then, with mid-season arrival Moses Wright showing his value by pouring in a personal best 20 points to lead last week's victory over Zvezda. The Reds boast the league's best defensive record, with just 74.8 points allowed per game, and will have to particularly focus on perimeter defense against a Fenerbahce team that leads the league in three-point shooting accuracy (39.5%), led by Scottie Wilbekin who has at least four triples in five of the last six games.
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Valencia Basket
Partizan (15-18) will look for the victory it needs to have any chance of qualifying for postseason action with a visit from Valencia (14-19), whose chances for the postseason were lost last week, resulting in the departure of head coach Alex Mumbru. The Spanish team will be led by new coach Albert Oliver. Valencia suffered a 67-72 home loss to Partizan earlier in the season. Kevin Punter inspired that triumph with 13 points and 9 rebounds, and he has struck top form with an average of 17 points in the last four games. The Serbian team will also look for another strong performance from James Nunnally, who shrugged off indifferent recent form by recording 19 points in last week's win at ALBA. Valencia's best chance of success lies with Chris Jones, the only player with double digits PIR in Round 33's humbling defeat to ASVEL.
Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
After joining Virtus (17-16) in sealing a play-in place with a stunning win at Real Madrid last week, Baskonia (17-16) will now look for another road triumph to finish above the Italian team in the regular season standings. The prize is very significant: the winner will have two chances of advancing through the play-in, and host the second of those games if necessary. Virtus has been spiraling recently, suffering six consecutive defeats, and will look to end that slump through the leadership of Toko Shengelia in what promises to be a fierce personal battle with Chima Moneke. The backcourt will feature a shootout between the first and third most prolific three-point shooters in the league: Markus Howard (3.6 triples per game) and Virtus's Marco Belinelli (2.7).
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. FC Barcelona
After sealing a top-four finish with last week's thrilling victory over Maccabi, Barcelona (22-11) will look to head into the playoffs on a high with a trip to dangerous ASVEL (8-25). The French team is enjoying a decent finish to an otherwise disappointing season, producing its biggest win to date by thrashing Valencia on the road in Round 33 behind 21 points from Joffrey Lauvergne. Barca will also be wary of the all-round threat posed by its former player DeShaun Thomas, who has averaged PIR of 20.3 in his last three games. In addition to the long-range shooting exploits of last week's game-winning hero Nico Laprovittola, Barca will look to control the tempo through its tandem of big men, Jan Vesely and Willy Hernangomez, who both scored in double digits in a 101-92 victory over ASVEL in December.