This week will see more decisive action in the race for the playoffs, starting with a rearranged game on Tuesday night and followed by Round 30 on Thursday and Friday. This is your overview of the 10 upcoming games.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
This week's action starts on Tuesday with Fenerbahce (17-11) hosting Milan (12-16) in a game originally scheduled for Round 24 but postponed due to the tragic earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria. It's a crucial game for both teams, with Fenerbahce looking to narrow the gap to fourth place, while Milan probably needs to win at least five of its last six games to reach the playoffs. Fenerbahce is the third most accurate two-point shooting team in the league (57.7%), so Milan will need strong interior defense led by veteran big man Kyle Hines.
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
In Thursday's opening tipoff, Zvezda (12-17) will hang its slim hopes of reaching the playoffs on beating a Baskonia (15-14) team that is desperate to hold its place in the top eight. It will be a special occasion for Zvezda coach Dusko Ivanovic after his three separate spells in charge of Baskonia. The hosts will be well aware of Baskonia's firepower after suffering a 92-75 defeat in Vitoria-Gasteiz in October on the back of 30 points by long-range specialist Markus Howard.
Panathinaikos Athens vs. FC Barcelona
Eliminated but fast-improving Panathinaikos (10-19) will look to underline its recent upturn by claiming a prestigious victory against a Barcelona (19-10) team that will secure a playoffs berth with a road victory. Sarunas Jasikevicius's team has lost three of its last four games away from home and will want to make a strong start to disrupt the Greens' growing confidence after a run of two straight wins. Reigning EuroLeague MVP Nikola Mirotic will have a crucial role after finding his best form of the season, averaging 21.8 points in the last four games.
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv
ASVEL (8-21) will look to climb off the foot of the standings by ending an eight-game losing run with a visit from confident and ambitious Maccabi (16-13), which has strengthened its playoffs push by winning four of the last five. The host will have to find a way of stopping Maccabi's backcourt spark Wade Baldwin, who has made himself a candidate for March's MVP award by scoring at least 14 points in each of the last 11 games, averaging 21.3 points during that period.
ALBA Berlin vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Troubled reigning champ Efes (14-15) needs to reignite its playoffs challenge by bouncing back from last week's costly home loss to Partizan with a trip to ALBA (8-21). The German hosts want to avoid a last-place finish, a goal that was boosted by winning last week's German derby against Bayern. Efes head coach Ergin Ataman was hospitalized over the weekend with pneumonia and so may not make the trip, but with or without him on the bench, the back-to-back EuroLeague champs must play do-or-die basketball in the German capital.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Zalgiris Kaunas
Friday's opening matchup is a big one in the race for the playoffs as Fenerbahce (17-11) hosts its second home game of the week by welcoming Zalgiris (15-14). The Lithuanian team handed Fenerbahce a 20-point thrashing in January – 86-66 – on a night which saw Dimitris Itoudis's men suffer a bad shooting despite grabbing 18 offensive rebounds. Zalgiris cannot expect to survive such dominance of the boards again, and will look for leadership from former Fenerbahce forward Edgaras Ulanovas as he returns to Istanbul.
Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. Real Madrid
Second-place Real (20-9) is very likely to seal its playoffs spot this week, and can make absolutely sure by beating Virtus (13-16). The Italian team now sits two wins away from the top eight after suffering three defeats in the last four. Virtus must look for better control of the basketball after committing 18 turnovers in last week's loss to Monaco. Real sharpshooter Dzanan Musa, who bagged the MVP of the Round award for the third time this season with 27 points to down Milan last week, will look to lead his team past another Italian opponent on Friday.