With the regular season hurtling towards a finish, teams are aiming to take part in the postseason, one way or another. Here are the teams with possibilities to reach some postseason goal this week.
Postseason possibilities: Up to five teams can join playoffs in Round 32
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FC BARCELONA
Despite losing three of its last five games, FC Barcelona (20-11) can ink its name into the top six in Round 32 should it win its road game at FC Bayern Munich (13-18) on Thursday and get a little help. Barca's victory will be enough when it happens if Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (18-13) loses to Valencia Basket (14-17) on Wednesday. Should Maccabi win, though, losses by either Olympiacos (19-12) in its visit to Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (14-17) on Thursday or Fenerbahce (19-12) at home vs. ALBA Berlin (5-26) on Friday will suffice. In all cases, Barca must win in Munich, however. Otherwise, it must wait to qualify for the playoffs. In no case can Barcelona also clinch home-court advantage in the playoffs this week.
AS MONACO
AS Monaco (20-11) is the only team that can reach the playoffs this week without winning its own game, a French League derby visit to LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (7-24) on Thursday. Monaco has a few options to qualify if it wins that game. One is if Maccabi loses. Another is if Barca loses. And a third is if both Fenerbahce and Olympiacos lose. Nonetheless, Monaco can sneak into the playoffs despite losing if Maccabi loses, while Panathinaikos (20-11), which visits Virtus (17-14) on Friday, wins. Whatever happens, Monaco has no option for home-court advantage in the playoffs in Round 32.
PANATHINAIKOS AKTOR ATHENS
Much like the other would-be qualifiers this week, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20-11) will see the door open to the playoffs with a victory if Maccabi has already lost by the time of tip off in Bologna on Friday. If Maccabi has already won, the only options for the Greens will be if both Olympiacos and Fenerbahce have lost already. Panathinaikos has no chance to lock up a top-four finish in Round 32.
FENERBAHCE BEKO ISTANBUL
Well before it plays on Friday, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul's chances of reaching the playoffs this week are conditioned on Maccabi losing on Wednesday. If Maccabi wins, a victory against ALBA at home on Friday won't be enough for Fenerbahce. But even if Maccabi has already lost, Fenerbahce needs either Olympiacos to win on Thursday or Virtus to lose on Friday, as well, in order to secure a top-six finish. Home-court advantage is out of reach for Fenerbahce in Round 32.
OLYMPIACOS PIRAEUS
Besides needing Maccabi to lose on Wednesday, Olympiacos Piraeus must win at Partizan and get help from other results in order to make the playoffs this week. Assuming both, Olympiacos can qualify if both Barcelona and Fenerbahce also win. Failing that, its own win combined with losses by Maccabi and Virtus will be enough for the Reds to advance, but with no top-four option yet.
Play-In Showdown Possibilities
VIRTUS SEGAFREDO BOLOGNA
Virtus (17-14) has plenty of incentive going into its Friday home game with Panathinaikos, because a win will guarantee the Italian club at least a place in the Play-In Showdown. However, Virtus might not even need to win to claim that achievement if two of three other teams lose. Any combination of Valencia being defeated by Maccabi on Wednesday, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (14-17) falling at Zalgiris Kaunas (13-18) on Thursday or Anadolu Efes Istanbul losing to host Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (16-15), also on Thursday, will be enough for Virtus to clinch a top-10 finish.
BASKONIA VITORIA-GASTEIZ
For Baskonia, a place in the postseason this week is very simple. Defeating Efes at home on Thursday guarantees Baskonia's place in the Play-In Showdown.
Elimination Possibilities
Meanwhile, several teams run the risk of being eliminated from postseason contention should they lose their games this week, although several of those would stay alive if other teams win.
Zalgiris Kaunas (13-18) has the most precarious position, because a loss at home to Milan by more than six points would spell the end to its Play-In Showdown options. Losing at all is a problem for Zalgiris, too, because if either Valencia or Partizan win, the Lithuanian team, then would see all postseason options disappear.
FC Bayern (13-18) has a similar problem to Zalgiris. A loss at home to Barcelona would stop its postseason dreams, but only if both Partizan and Valencia win.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul (14-16) has things a tad less risky. First it must lose, but then both Valencia and Partizan must win, and then Bayern must lose. Only that four-result combination would keep Efes from remaining in contention for the Play-In Showdown.