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Efes, Zalgiris looking to get back on track in Round 22

Efes, Zalgiris looking to get back on track in Round 22

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1 February 20233 mins read

Geoff Gillingham

Efes, Zalgiris looking to get back on track in Round 22

Before the season began, if somebody had said that Zalgiris Kaunas would be in the playoffs and have a better record than Anadolu Efes Istanbul heading into Round 22, you may have thought that they were crazy. Efes had, after all, just become back-to-back champions in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and added 2019 Final Four MVP Will Clyburn to its roster.

But, that is the current state of play, with Efes in 11th spot – outside of the playoffs – with a record of 10-11, whereas Zalgiris is sixth after going 12-9 through the first 21 games. Zalgiris has been able to lean on a particularly good home record, having won eight and lost two of its 10 fixtures at Zalgirio Arena, but its exciting brand of basketball under first-year head coach Kazys Maksvytis has been one of the best most pleasant surprises of the season.

Efes, meanwhile, finally has its Big Three of Clyburn, Vasilije Micic and Shane Larkin on the court together after the return of Larkin from injury in Round 16. Yet, in the games that the American guard has played, his team has gone 1-4. Last time out, Efes lost 114-111 in an overtime classic on the road at Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, but Larkin showed signs that he is getting back to his best by scoring a team-high 21 points.

Curiously, when Efes and Zalgiris last faced off in Round 12 in Kaunas, Ergin Ataman's team had one of its best performances of the season en route to a 60-86 victory. The teams were tied 33-33 at halftime, but Efes exploded in the second half, outscoring the hosts 27-53. Rodrigue Beaubois had 20 points, and Micic and Clyburn were not far behind with 19 and 17 points, respectively.

Coach Maksvytis was unhappy with his team's defensive effort in that game, although he did recognize the quality of Efes's players afterward: "Anadolu Efes happened. First of all, we had a terrible effort defensively: 27 points in the third quarter with only 1 team foul. So, we need to be hard workers. We don't have such talent as Efes. We need to start from defense."

It is likely to be a similar message from the Zalgiris tactician heading into this Round 22 matchup, as his team is coming off a surprising 89-65 loss at Panathinaikos Athens. After all, Zalgiris had gone 6-2 between Round 13 and Round 20, and its two defeats were decided by no more than 4 points in that time, so its Round 21 loss against an out-of-sorts Panathinaikos caused many to raise their eyebrows.

Efes still hopes to complete the three-peat at Zalgiris's home, Zalgirio Arena, in May, but firstly, it must focus on securing a place in the top eight. Zalgiris, meanwhile, wants to keep upsetting the odds, despite losing star guard Keenan Evans to a season-ending injury in Round 17.

One player who will be extremely motivated on Wednesday night is new Zalgiris signing Achille Polonara, who made 15 appearances for Efes this season before being released after Round 17. He joined Zalgiris a few days later on January 7 and has since played in four games, averaging 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds off the bench. Isaiah Taylor also made the same move one day before, switching Istanbul for Kaunas, but he is out with a hamstring injury and will therefore miss this clash.

There is a lot to get excited about ahead of Efes and Zalgiris's showdown, as both teams will be keen to get back on track with a victory. But, as is the nature of sports, only one team will be able to come out on top. Will Efes begin to show signs of its potential with a win, or will it suffer another defeat to further raise concerns? Alternatively, was Zalgiris's defeat in Athens last week just a blip, or is it a sign of cracks in the team's armor?

This Wednesday evening, you can find out! Efes is on a four-game winning streak against Zalgiris, but that could easily change tonight. Make sure to tune in from 18:30 CET to see the action from Sinan Erdem Sports Hall.