Friday’s action opens in Lithuania where Zalgiris Kaunas hosts Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Both teams come into the game in good form with identical 6-5 records. Zalgiris had won three in a row before struggling with its shooting on Friday in losing at home to Panathinaikos Athens. It scored a season-low 67 points in that game and will look to turn things around against the champs. Efes has won four games in a row – including two against Final Four teams from last season, FC Barcelona and Olympiacos Piraeus.
Zalgiris looks to bounce back against red-hot Efes
Zalgiris, which is 4-1 at home this season, has been led by combo-guard Keenan Evans (16.1 ppg., 4.1 apg.) and Ignas Brazdeikis (10.7 ppg.), though the latter has not yet found his shooting stroke from deep (5 for 29, 17.2%). When he does, it will make the Zalgiris attack even more dangerous and create more space for the likes of Edgaras Ulanovas, Kevarrius Hayes and Rolands Smits inside.
No team has relied more on its superstars this season than Efes, for which Vasilije Micic (20.7 ppg., 6.5 rpg.) and Will Clyburn (20.7 ppg., 6.6 apg.) have been simply outstanding. All-EuroLeague guard Shane Larkin is also nearing his return to the lineup, which would be a boost to the entire team. Micic is also a former Zalgiris player; he helped the team reach the 2018 Final Four in his lone season with eh club.
Efes has won three straight against Zalgiris by double-digit margins and is 5-2 in its last seven visits to Kaunas. However, that history is unlikely to have much impact on this game, which promises to be an exciting contest.