After joining Virtus (17-16) in sealing a play-in place with a stunning win at Real Madrid last week, Baskonia (17-16) will now look for another road triumph to finish above the Italian team in the regular season standings.
Luca Banchi, Virtus: 'This game will be the appetizer of the play-in'
Seasons
3 Mins read
The prize is very significant: the winner will have two chances of advancing through the play-in, and host the second of those games if necessary. Virtus has been spiraling recently, suffering six consecutive defeats, and will look to end that slump through the leadership of Toko Shengelia in what promises to be a fierce personal battle with Chima Moneke. The backcourt will feature a shootout between the first and third most prolific three-point shooters in the league: Markus Howard (3.6 triples per game) and Virtus's Marco Belinelli (2.7).
Luca Banchi, Virtus head coach
"There is a great desire on everyone's part to prove ourselves up to such an important appointment. For both of us this game will be the appetizer of the play-in. This is the time to take care of every little detail and control our emotions. Baskonia plays at a high pace, in Madrid they played high scoring, with lots of possessions and they showcased their ballistic ability. They are a team of physical size and athleticism that, by characteristics, can play very aggressive defense. It will be a tough and demanding game but we are preparing for it in the best way possible."
Achille Polonara, Virtus player
"We want to close this Regular Season in the best possible way to prove that we deserve the post-season. Baskonia is talented and runs very well on the counterattack: they won in Madrid and on other difficult courts. We have to start as always with defense, which will be the key to limit their strengths."