Two very different big men will test their strengths against each other on Thursday when Tibor Pleiss of Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Ante Zizic of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv meet.
Major matchup: Pleiss, Efes vs. Zizic, Maccabi
Pleiss arrives at this game in excellent shape; he was chosen as the Turkish Cup Final MVP after going for 20 points and 8 rebounds against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. Pleiss can use his size to score in the low post and is an excellent three-point shooter who can spread the floor and allow Efes to have better spacing on offense. Pleiss is averaging 9.7 points on great shooting percentages (60.3% 2FG, 44.8% 3FG, 85.7% FT) and 4.5 rebounds for a PIR average of 11.0 in less than 18 minutes per night.
Zizic is an old-school center who can finish above the rim and power the glass for offensive rebounds and second-chance opportunities. He is averaging 12.7 points on 69.0% two-point shooting - sixth overall - and 5.4 rebounds for a PIR average of 17.0 in less than 23 minutes per night. Zizic ranks third in PIR per 40 minutes (31.4). When their teams met in Round 16, Efes beat Maccabi 78-92 and Pleiss made 7 of 8 two-point shots on his way to 15 points. Zizic led Maccabi with 23 points, one shy of his career-high.