Round 12 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague revs. up on Thursday and Friday, with a passionate crosstown derby highlighting this week's action. Here's your guide to the games ahead.
Round 12 at a glance: Belgrade Derby highlights an intriguing week
Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
Red-hot Panathinaikos (5-6) will look for a fourth straight win against a Milan team (3-8) which is equally intent on ending its seven-game losing streak. Derrick Williams is in top form for the Greens, registering double-digit PIRs in each of the last six games, and his all-action style epitomizes the energy Panathinaikos has found in recent games. Milan had a stellar performance from Brandon Davies in last week's loss at Baskonia, with 23 points and 12 rebounds, but needs others to similarly step up to prevent another defeat.
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade
All the devotion that distinguishes the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague will be on full display as Partizan (4-7) hosts Zvezda (5-6) in the competition's first-ever Belgrade derby. Partizan has struggled with three straight losses, while Zvezda remains a perfect 4-0 under new head coach Dusko Ivanovic. A key battle will come in the backcourt, where home team sharpshooter Kevin Punter will look to maintain his season average of 15.9 points per game against Zvezda playmaker Luca Vildoza, who had 15 points, 5 assists and 3 steals in last week's win over Virtus.
ALBA Berlin vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
ALBA (3-8) will aim to end the competition's worst losing streak – eight games – with a visit from league-leading Fenerbahce (9-2), which wants bounce back from last week's home loss to Real Madrid. ALBA will feel a much-needed win is just around the corner after losing by just 2, 4 and 2 points in its last three home games. This promises to be an open and high-scoring game between the teams ranked first and fourth, respectively, in assists per game (21.5 vs. 19.7).
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Valencia Basket
In a key showdown between two teams placed just outside the all-important top eight, Maccabi (5-6) will hope that Lorenzo Brown can maintain the stunning form that saw him score 36 points in last week's loss at Bayern. Valencia (5-6) will have to cope without backcourt star Chris Jones, whose injury means he cannot face his former club. That will place more responsibility on the shoulders of Jared Harper, who has scored in double digits for three games in a row.
Two teams currently sharing second place meet in the Spanish capital as high-flying Real (8-3) aims for a seventh consecutive victory against a Monaco team (8-3) which has won three of its last four. Real has scored at least 80 points for seven games in a row, with Dzanan Musa averaging 20 points in the last three games on 61.8% field goal shooting. Monaco can counter that with its underrated defense, which has forced more turnovers than any other team in the competition (15.8 per game), let by John Brown, Alpha Diallo and Mike James with 1.6 steals each.
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna
Olympiacos (7-4) will look to strengthen its position in the playoffs places against a Virtus team (4-7) that has lost three games in a row by allowing 83, 85 and 88 points. To improve defensively, the visiting team will try to control Kostas Sloukas, who leads the league in assists (6.8 per game). Olympiacos has the third-worst perimeter defense in the competition, allowing its opponents to convert 39.0% of their three-point attempts, which could be exploited by Virtus sharpshooter Semi Ojeleye (48.3% three-pointers).
Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. FC Bayern Munich
A tight battle can be expected at Buesa Arena, where fast-paced Baskonia (6-5) will look to outgun a Bayern (4-7) team that showed its offensive potential by scoring 98 points to overcome Maccabi last week on the back of 23 points from Cassius Winston, who leads the team with 11.5 points per game. Baskonia has won three straight at home, with playmaker Darius Thompson continuing his fine EuroLeague rookie season with 15 points and 7 assists last week against Milan.
FC Barcelona vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne
Round 12 concludes at Palau Blaugrana, where ASVEL (3-8) faces the colossal challenge of ending its five game losing streak against a confident Barcelona team (8-3) which has won five straight at home and has reigning EuroLeague MVP Nikola Mirotic back in action after injury. ASVEL will look to control the boards through Youssoupha Fall, who ranks third in the competition with 7.2 rebounds per game, but also needs to find offensive fluency after scoring just 72.0 points per game, next-to-worst in the league.
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Fast-rising reigning champ Efes (6-5) is gunning for a fifth straight win as it travels to Zalgiris (6-5) in a meeting between direct rivals for the playoffs positions. After coming close to a triple-double with 18 points, 9 assists and 9 rebounds in last week's win over Olympiacos, Efes star Vasilije Micic will look to maintain his stellar form against the team with whom his really sparked into life in the 2017-18 season. But he'll have to overcome Zalgiris leader Keenan Evans, who has averaged 19 points in the last four games.