Euroleague Tips with Previews – Round 14 – Tuesday

Zalgiris Kaunas will try to build some momentum after snapping a six-game losing streak last week when it hosts TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on Tuesday. Zalgiris (6-7) has lost its last five home games and needs to restore its advantage at Zalgirio Arena. Baskonia (6-6) had won four of five before losing at home to Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv last week. Baskonia is 2-2 on the road this season.

Defense has been the story for Zalgiris this season; the Lithuanian champs have held opponents to 70.3 points in wins, but 87.6 points in losses. Setting the game rhythm and causing trouble for the Baskonia’s shooters could be the difference in this game.

Baskonia has allowed the third-fewest points in the league this season (73.4 ppg.) and is outrebounding its opponents by an average of 5.6 per game. Strong defense and great rebounding is always a recipe for success and all the more so on the road, especially versus a Zalgiris side averaging just 30.1 rebounds per game.

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade will look to turn things around on Tuesday against an ALBA Berlin side that has just hit its stride. Zvezda (4-9) has lost four games in a row and has dropped three straight at home. ALBA (5-7) has won its last two games and three of its last four. The German champs have already won twice on the road this season.

The magic number for Zvezda may be 80. Zvezda has scored 80 points only three times this season and was victorious each time. Conversely, it has allowed 80 points only four times and is 1-3 in those games. To improve its chances of getting to 80, the hosts must improve on their league-low two-point shooting (48.3%).

ALBA has allowed the third-most points to opponents this season (82.3 ppg.) and part of the reason is that it’s given up 57.1% on two-pointers. The visitors need Ben Lammers, Johannes Thiemann and Sikma to lock down the paint to improve the team’s chances of scoring another road win.

• In their clashes since 2000, Real Madrid holds a 19-10 edge over Panathinaikos and has won 10 in a row. Panathinaikos was eliminated by Real Madrid in the EuroLeague Playoffs in both 2018 and 2019.

Panathinaikos (4-8) looks to get back on track at home on Tuesday against a long-time international rival, Real (8-5), that has been almost flawless since the end of October. Panathinaikos has been up and down, knocking off two higher-ranked teams in recent weeks, but losing at home to Zalgiris by double digits in Round 13. Real has won seven of its last eight, the single defeat coming at the buzzer on the court of standings co-leader CSKA Moscow.

The Greens rank third with 11.5 offensive rebounds per game and need to keep that up for second-chance opportunities to offset a disadvantage of 51.9% to 56.7% in two-point accuracy. But victory will be even closer the hosts play solid one-on-one defense against the array of talents on Real, but particularly against guards Sergio Llull and Nico Laprovittola, who need to get the ball to their teammates for things to happen. Panathinaikos gives up the second-most points of any defense, 83.9 per game, and Real will take advantage of that leakiness if given half a chance.

Real will challenge the hosts with superior size and shooting ability at forward, where Alberto Abalde, Trey Thompkins and Anthony Randolph make a higher rate of three-point shots than any Panathinaikos player. The visitors rank first with 10.6 triples made per game while Panathinaikos gives up 41.3% of those shots, second-worst in the league. Real would do just as well taking the game to the free throw line, where they are making 81.0% of their shots to the Greens’ league-low 71.4%.