The double-round excitement concludes with nine games on Thursday and Friday, including two meetings of teams currently in the top eight and another between direct rivals on the edge of the playoffs positions. Here's an overview of what to keep an eye on.
ALBA Berlin vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna
After starting the double rou-d week with a narrow loss to Partizan on Tuesday, Virtus (12-15) will attempt to boost its fading playoffs hopes with a road win at ALBA (7-20), which will has already been mathematically eliminated from playoffs contention. Virtus will look for the creativity of Milos Teodosic, who ranks third in the league with 5.9 assists per game, to expose an ALBA defense which has allowed the second-highest number of points (84.6) and assists (18.2) in the competition.
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne
Zalgiris (14-13) got its playoffs hopes back on track with a battling road win at ALBA two days ago, and will now look to punish another basement dweller in a home meeting with ASVEL (8-19). The French team has lost six games in a row and will be eliminated from post-season action with one more defeat. Zalgiris is heading into a run of five games out of six at Zalgirio Arena, where it has won five of the last six, so has a great chance to put its fate in its own hands by starting that sequence with a victory.
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. FC Bayern Munich
League-leading Olympiacos (19-8) will look to take another step towards sealing a playoffs berth by downing Bayern (11-16), which has kept alive its own challenge by winning two in a row. Sasha Vezenkov delivered a memorable performance – even by his own high standards – to lead Olympiacos to victory in Munich in November, recording a PIR of 43 by pairing 20 points with 13 rebounds, so Bayern will be fully aware of the threat posed by the reigning monthly MVP. But stopping him is another matter.
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade
A clash of the league's hottest teams takes place in the Italian fashion capital as Milan (11-15) looks to extend its five-game winning streak with a visit from Partizan (15-12), which has won six of its last seven to give itself a serious chance of breaking into the top four. Two players at the center of attention will be Partizan's Kevin Punter and Zach LeDay, who both helped Milan reach the Final Four in 2021 and are now making their first return to Mediolanum Forum.
Real Madrid vs. Valencia Basket
After losing to one Spanish visitor on Tuesday, second-placed Real Madrid (18-8) will look to get back on track with the visit of another. Valencia (13-14) has to turn around its form after losing three in a row, mainly due to a porous defense which has allowed an average of 98 points in those defeats. That will give encouragement to Real sharpshooter Dzanan Musa, who has scored in double digits in 10 straight games, including 21 points against Baskonia on Tuesday.