MADRID, 9 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Baskonia visits Virtus Bologna this Friday at the Virtus Segafredo Arena (20:45) in their duel on matchday 20 of the Regular Phase of the Euroleague, and in which they trust to continue showing the good version that was seen in the Endesa League against Leyma Coruña and be able to catch some air in the continental competition at the expense of some Italians who, with a squad to be at the top, are still close to the hole.
Virtus Bologna is not at all having the expected and desired season but, precisely for this reason, Baskonia does not want to be the team that begins to revitalize the Italians. With only 5 wins, several serious injuries and a change of tenant on the bench, the Virtus project continues to fail and Baskonia must take advantage of this.
And nothing better than arriving at this important event after winning decisively in the Endesa League against Leyma Coruña (114-66) and with three players with over 20 scoring points; Moneke and Rogkavopoulos (20) and Luwawu-Cabarrot (24). Of course, two days before they lost at home against Real Madrid (82-89) and, on the last day of the Euroleague, Pablo Laso’s team lost at Buesa against Estrella Roja (73-75).
The situation in the acb is not good, with the team practically out of the Copa del Rey, and in this Euroleague trying to get into the ‘Play-In’ seems the most sensible thing to do. But, to do this, they must eliminate rivals and Bologna is a direct rival. Furthermore, with a certain morbidity to have prestigious former Baskonistas such as Achille Polonara and Tornike Shengelia in their squad, although the Georgian is a serious doubt and did not play on the last day, in the tough defeat at Panathinaikos’ home (111-90).
Regarding the physical condition of Laso’s players, the Vitorian coach has Tadas Sedekerskis out, although he believes he could return sooner than expected, and the good news is that point guard Markus Howard is available, despite the blow to his knee. “very painful” that prevented him from playing this Wednesday. And ‘5’ Luka Samanic continues to adapt. “I’m happy because he’s big and doesn’t make big mistakes,” Laso acknowledged.
A Baskonista coach who wants to see the team playing in Bologna as if it were a fifth quarter of the clash against Leyma Coruña. “We have to maintain the rhythm during the forty minutes, play comfortably in the race and be successful. That allowed us to break the game early. For us it is key to minimize errors because we are a team that usually receives many points after making losses,” he warned. .
With three more victories than Virtus, Baskonia is now fourteenth in the standings, four places away and 2 wins away from the tenth place that gives access to the ‘Play-In’. A fight prior to the ‘Play-Offs’ whose four places are expensive, given that right now Barça, Anadolu Efes or Real Madrid – all of them champions of the competition – occupy three of those places. Beating Virtus is key to continuing to aspire to be in the next phase of the Euroleague.
TECHNICAL SHEET.
–TEAMS.
VIRTUS SEGAFREDO BOLOGNA: Pajola, Cordinier, Clyburn, Polonara and Diouf –possible starting quintet–; Belinelli, Visconti, Hackett, Grazulis, Morgan, Akele, Tucker and Shengelia.
BASKONIA: Howard, Baldwin, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Moneke and Hall –possible starting quintet–; Raieste, Jaramaz, Forrest, Rogkavopoulos, Diop and Samanic.
— ARBITRATOR: Pukl, Ryzhyk y Obrknezevic.
–PAVILLION: Virtus Segafredo Arena.
–TIME: 20.45/Movistar+.