By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Starting the last double-game week of the EuroLeague season, Virtus Bologna is heading to Kaunas to face Zalgiris after two consecutive defeats against Real Madrid and Olympiacos.
Just like Devontae Cacok, who has already ended the season with a severe long-time knee injury, both Daniel Hackett and Isaia Cordinier haven’t flown with the Italian team for the Lithuanian trip. They may also be unavailable in the second game of the week against Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade.
Virtus Bologna’s experienced 36-year-old starting point guard has been averaging 8.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, but he has missed the last two games with a knee issue; the French forward is putting up 9.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per night in the EuroLeague. He suffered a right ankle sprain in the LBA defeat against Victoria Libertas Pesaro this weekend.
On the other side, the Lithuanian green-and-white powerhouse desperately needs to win to still hope about making it to the Play-Ins. At the moment, Zalgiris Kaunas is 15th at an 11-18 record, two wins away from that zone. Virtus, instead, is 7th at 17-12.
Zalgiris Kaunas was the winner of the first matchup between the two teams, back in the opener of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season. Andrea Trinchieri was still a free agent and the game in PalaDozza was the first one for Luca Banchi on board.
PHOTO CREDIT: Virtus Bologna