ALBA Berlin: 2023-24 games to watch

ALBA Berlin enters its fifth consecutive season in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season with the goal of reaching the playoffs for the first time. Over that stretch, it has compiled a 44-80 record. Let's take a look at some of the most important games on ALBA's schedule as it chases the playoff dream.

Round 10: Real Madrid vs. ALBA Berlin

ALBA Berlin finds it harder to win in certain courts and WiZink Center in the Spanish capital has been one of them. In fact, Real has been virtually impossible for ALBA and even tougher in Madrid. Real is 10-0 against ALBA at home since the teams met each other for the first time back in 1998. In its last five visits, ALBA has lost by an average margin of 22.2 points. If ALBA wants to take a step forward and challenge the big names in the competition, putting on a strong performance in Madrid would be a good start.

Round 15: ALBA Berlin vs. FC Barcelona

To reach new heights, staying strong at Mercedes-Benz Arena, home of the 2024 Final Four, will be crucial. Historically, Barca has been among its toughest obstacles. Since the turn of the millennium, Barca is 6-1 against ALBA in the German capital and 13-1 overall. ALBA's only win came in 2015 when it topped Barca 80-70 at home. Last season's game at Mercedes-Benz Arena was a thriller: Barca edged ALBA 86-88, but the hosts kept their chances alive until the final seconds. Over the last three seasons, ALBA is 1-11 at home against teams that eventually made it to the Final Four and of course, 0-3 against Barca.

Round 22: ALBA Berlin vs. FC Bayern Munich

The German derby in the country's capital is always a top-class showdown, and this should be extra special due to the identities of the men at the head of the teams' benches. Two-time EuroLeague champion Pablo Laso joined Bayern this summer after a year off and should be ready for a tough tactical test against Israel Gonzalez, who is in his third campaign with ALBA. It should be interesting to see how Laso's run-and-gun mentality works against ALBA's fun-to-watch basketball, which focuses on moving the ball as much as possible.

Round 28: Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. ALBA Berlin

There has been a lot of transit between these teams in recent years: Simone Fontecchio. Landry Nnoko, Rokas Giedraitis and Jayson Granger have all played for both ALBA and Baskonia in consecutive seasons. ALBA has been quite competitive against Baskonia in recent seasons. In 2021, ALBA grabbed a 77-84 road victory at Buesa Arena. Last season, Baskonia had to battle to edge ALBA 93-87 behind 23 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high PIR of 40 by Maik Kotsar. Both teams like to play at a high rhythm and this late-season game could have ramifications for both sides as ALBA seeks a statement win in one of the toughest courts in the competition.