Regular Season
Round 31 of 34
Regular Season
Real MadridRMB
9075
Fenerbahce Beko IstanbulFBB
Overview
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Real Madrid, Fenerbahce meet with one thing on their minds
Makale
3 Dk okuma
Real Madrid (21-9) and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (18-12) have come head-to-head in some memorable games in the last decade, most notably facing each other three times in the Final Four between 2015 and 2018, and another classic could be in store at WiZink Center on Wednesday night (20:45 CET). With just four games remaining in the regular season, this contest will be a good test to see where both teams stand ahead of the playoffs.
Los Blancos punched their ticket to the postseason last week, yet they are still fighting to secure home-court advantage, something that none of the four qualified playoff teams have yet achieved. A win against Fenerbahce will see Real lock up home-court advantage in the playoffs. Also, there is the issue of seeding for Real, as it currently sits second in the standings; these final four games of the regular season will determine which team Chus Mateo's side has to play in a best-of-five series.
Fenerbahce, however, finds itself in fifth position, two wins behind AS Monaco in fourth. Being able to lean on home-court advantage in a possible Game 5 may now be beyond the team's reach, although Fenerbahce does hold the tiebreaker over Monaco. That is also the case with regard to Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, both of whom are just one win behind head coach Dimitris Itoudis's side but do not have the tiebreaker in their favor. Should Fenerbahce beat Real and Zalgiris Kaunas lose to Monaco, it will be in the playoffs.
Real comes into Wednesday night's game after winning its last two contests and going 8-2 over its last 10, whereas Fenerbahce has blown hot and cold since Round 21, going 5-5. The Turkish team did manage to end a two-game losing streak last time out, though, as it defeated Zalgiris 87-79.
Although the tiebreaker is unlikely to come into effect between Real and Fenerbahce, their Round 11 matchup provides an interesting look into what could occur on Wednesday night. In early December, Los Blancos went into Istanbul and managed to come away with a 71-85 victory, as Dzanan Musa (18) and Walter Tavares (17) combined for 35 points. Gabriel Deck also ended the game in double figures with 12 points. Once again, this trio is likely to come to the fore for Real.
Although Johnathan Motley had a game-high 20 points and Devin Booker added 15 for the hosts, Fenerbahce was unable to overcome its absences against Real. That day, for example, it was without Scottie Wilbekin, Dyshawn Pierre, Marko Guduric and Nemanja Bjelica, while Tyler Dorsey joined the team later in the season. This time, Wilbekin and Pierre will again miss out, but Guduruc, Bjelica and Dorsey will all be involved.
We are now at the business end of the season and both teams have the possibility to achieve their short-term goals with a win on Wednesday night, so a fantastic game is likely to be in store. It is almost always worth tuning in when these two behemoths go at it, and this game is no different. Will Real wrap up home-court advantage or Fenerbahce make the playoffs? Find out from 20:45 CET!