By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Walter Tavares is dealing with a respiratory infection.
He is considered doubtful for the meeting of Real Madrid with archrival FC Barcelona on Sunday.
Due to the infection, he did not suit up in Spain’s Liga Endesa Regular Season Round 2. However, the team coached by Chus Mateo prevailed over BAXI Manresa on the road and improved to 2-0 at the top of the 2023-24 edition of ACB. Consequently, he is likely to miss Round 3 as well.
Following up on the Clasico, Los Blancos will open the 2023-24 Regular Season of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with a visit to Baskonia’s Buesa Arena next Friday. Upping his total to 202 games played in Europe’s premier club continental competition, Tavares was named Best Defender of the 2022-23 season en route to winning the championship for the second time in his career.
Launching his seventh campaign with the team based in Spain’s capital, the Cape Verdean center was instrumental in the latest Supercopa Endesa triumph with 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per contest in Murcia. He added 15 points and three rebounds for the home win opposite Casademont Zaragoza in the opening round of the Liga Endesa Regular Season.
Tavares, 31, represented his country in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the first-ever appearance of Cape Verde, during the offseason. He tallied 9.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game over five appearances in Japan. His side narrowly missed a berth in next summer’s FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net