A victory in a Friday-night showdown would have a lot larger importance and meaning for Panathinaikos and Virtus than just its implication in postseason races.
Virtus, Panathinaikos clash looking for victory, and some more
Round 32 will close on Friday night with a clash of two fallen giants, both back on the path of returning to their former Turkish Airlines EuroLeague glory. It's been 23 years since Virus Segafredo Bologna (17-14) won the last of its two EuroLeague titles, and it's been 13 years since Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20-11) lifted the last of its six EuroLeague crowns.
This season, both teams are firmly on track to return to the EuroLeague postseason, each with its own goals. Their Friday-night showdown will have plenty of say in determining whether they meet those goals, or not.
Roles reversed
When it comes to this campaign, one team – third-place Panathinaikos – is moving up after a slow start to the season, while the home team – eighth-place Virtus – has been spiraling down after a fantastic first half of the regular season.
When they met back in Round 9 and Panathinaikos won 90-76, it marked the first time this season that Panathinaikos held a winning record, 5-4 at the time. Soon after, the Greens went on a three-game losing streak and in mid-December, after 13 rounds, they found themselves sitting in 11th place in the standings before starting a steady climb that is continuing to this day. They have won 14 of their last 18 games.
For Virtus, that loss in Athens last November was just its third defeat of the season. When Panathinaikos was starting its three-game losing streak, Virtus was the feel-good story of the season, starting a run of seven wins in eight games that kept the team firmly among the top three places in the standings.
However, the things have changed drastically for Virtus, which is not only on a four-game losing streak, but has now lost seven of its last nine games.
Mission to regain confidence
It all has Virtus, once viewed as a Final Four contender, still needing to secure a place in the Play-In Showdown entering Round 32. A direct place in the playoffs, for which Virtus will need to finish in the top six, is all but out of reach, and just about everything would have to go Virtus's way over the final three games in order to achieve that – starting with a win over Panathinaikos.
But for Luca Banchi's side, this game is less about making a late push for the top six than about re-gaining confidence ahead of the postseason.
A team that once held a 14-5 record has registered losses of 13 or more points in seven games since then. Each of the last three games Virtus dropped by exactly 15 points, including last week's disappointing losses in Kaunas and Belgrade against Zalgiris and Crvena Zvezda, respectively.
The good news for Virus is certainly forward Toko Shengelia returning to form after having some injury struggles. Shengelia, chosen as EuroLeague MVP for October, scored in double figures only once in a two-month period from early January to early March, during which time he also missed three games with an injury.
Over the last four games, however, Shengelia is averaging 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals. Virtus has been dearly missing Daniel Hackett and Isaia Cordinier, but Shengelia's all-round contributions, along with his leadership and character, is the driving force of this Virtus side.
Greens want to stay on their path
Panathinaikos, meanwhile, has been clicking so well, winning 10 of its last 13 games, that recent losses in Kaunas and Piraeus have sounded alarms only because the goal is now bigger: finishing in the top four to gain home-court advantage in the playoffs.
Success on Friday in a tough road environment like Bologna would suggest there is no room or reason to worry, reinforcing the optimism of this team in the first year of head coach Ergin Ataman's reign.
The Greens are fueled and energized by the force of big man Mathias Lessort (13.9 ppg., 6.1 rpg.) and offense orchestrated by the 34-year old three-time champion Kostas Sloukas, who is has looked rejuvenated of late, posting 14.4. points and 7.0 assists since returning from his own four-game injury absence.
That's all at the forefront, when actually it is the Greens defense that has been the main platform for team's success. Defense that allows the EuroLeague's second-fewest points per game, 77.2, and that has held opponents to 76 points or less in all but four games since Round 15.
The Greens hope that the same recipe will work in Bologna at a sold-out Virus Segafredo Arena, where the passionate home fans will look to help Virtus get out of its funk and snatch a win that would go a long way to aiming the Italian club toward bigger things in April, and they are hoping, in May.