Barça must separate Zalgiris from ‘its’ end
The blaugranas open a complicated series against some rising Lithuanians
BARCELONA, 25 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Barça receives Zalgiris Kaunas this Wednesday at the Palau Blaugrana (8:00 p.m.) in the first match of the Euroleague ‘Playoffs’ crossover, with a home field advantage and the need to take advantage of it so as not to suffer more than it should at the Zalgirio Arena, which will be the venue for the next ‘Final Four’ of the competition.
The blaugrana face one of the teams that finished the Regular Season the best, who have a lot to gain and little to lose because hardly anyone put them in the ‘Playoffs’ at the start of the campaign and, furthermore, they play to be in ‘their ‘final to four, which will host Kaunas.
In addition, the emotional and more human factor enters the series since Sarunas Jasikevicius and Rokas Jokubaitis measure up against their soul team. As for the coach, he led Zalgiris to the 2018 Final Four, as a coach, and retired there as a player. Meanwhile, Rolands Smits -one of the fittest ‘greens’- will also face old teammates and coaches, after training for four seasons at the Palau Blaugrana.
A lot is at stake, off and on the track, in a series that is more even and even than it may seem on paper. Barça, second, faces seventh-placed Zalgiris, but there are only four victories between them and, in the face-to-face, the victories were shared.
Barça won the game at the Palau Blaugrana 93-74, in a current series of seven consecutive victories. A run that must be extended by ‘Saras’, who will play the first two games of the series in front of their fans. The Palau smells like a fort and should continue to be so to avoid major scares.
And it is that the Zalgirio Arena is one of the hottest pavilions, where there was more influx of public in the Regular Phase. And, in some ‘Playoffs’ that generate so much excitement, after the previous bad season, and also being possible hosts in the fight for the title, Zalgiris will give everything and will be a tough rival.
In fact, Zalgiris has a great record of 13-4 in front of their fans in the Regular Phase, being able to win Barça by a close 73-72 on the fourth day. A victory for each side, although the historical balance between the two is 26-7 for the Catalans.
Barça, as seeded, knows that no matter how well things go in Barcelona and how bad things turn out in Kaunas, a hypothetical fifth game would take place at the Palau. And it is that there are unknowns about this unprecedented series that has never occurred before in the history of the highest continental competition.
The blaugranas arrive at the clash at a good time, with a 5-1 record in the last six games -for an also good 4-2 for Zalgiris- and with Álex Abrines back in the team, although not one hundred percent. Who will not be in this first clash, and almost certainly not in the second, is the American guard Cory Higgins.
From that 4-2 final for Zalgiris, it extends to 6-2 in the last eight rounds and with a current streak of four consecutive victories for Kazys Maksvytis’ men. A great final of the Regular Phase in which they beat Monaco and Maccabi, two other teams from the ‘Playoffs’. So Barça must start now to kick Zalgiris out of ‘their’ Final Four.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
BARÇA: Laprovittola, Satoransky, Kuric, Mirotic and Vesely –possible starting five–; Sanli, Kalinic, Abrines, Tobey, Jokubaitis and Nnaji.
ZALGIRIS KAUNAS: Taylor, Butkevicius, Ulanovas, Brazdeikis y Smits –possible quintet initial–; Giedraitis, Lekavicius, Hayes, Birutis, Lukosiunas, Polonara y Dimsa.
–REFEREES: Belosevic, Nedovic and Kardum.
–HALL: Palau Blaugrana.