By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Round 29 in the books. What we will remember fondly is for sure Rudy Fernandez’s game-winner for Real’s favor in Athens that exceeded Panathinaikos‘ playoffs agony. At the same time, we know for sure that Bayern fought hard but lost the battle of living another day to make it to the playoffs, as the current EuroLeague standings are merciless, while at the same time Zalgiris and Maccabi can still hope.
The results of this round for some might have been surprising, to others, like Darussafaka, it was a means of bidding goodbye to their crowd on a high note.
Let’s break down the second-to-last regular season round in parts.
MVP
Walter Tavares
The Cape Verdean big man had an all-around impactful night against Panathinaikos in Athens. 27-year-old Tavares proved Pablo Laso’s squad with a double-double of 14 points and 16 rebounds, for a total PIR of 29. Add Rudy’s crazy shot to the equation, and you will see that it was a dream night for Real, that can rest assured ahead of the upcoming playoffs.
Best five:
- Bobby Dixon: He helped Fener execute Olimpia Milano on the road with great presence from the three-point line and a total of 23 points.
- Toney Douglas: In Dacka’s last homecourt game of the season, he posted a big performance of 26 points and six rebounds.
- Alex Tyus: Maccabi is still alive thanks to the great performance of its veteran, who posted 20 points and six boards.
- Walter Tavares: Our well-deserving MVP of the round played a key role in Real Madrid‘s victory in Athens.
- Tibor Pleiss: Another center entry, but we couldn’t neglect his superb double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds against Baskonia.
Coach of the week: Sarunas Jasikevicius
Zalgiris managed to withstand the pressure of hosts Olympiacos in Piraeus and got a huge victory that will help them live another day in the playoffs race. Even with the Reds ahead in double-digits, the Lithuanian side trimmed the deficit, got ahead with excellent execution in offense and eventually sealed an important result.
Last word: Get ready for an epic finale
Four teams will fight for one spot in the playoffs in the final round of the regular season. Of course, at this point, it’s pretty clear that some teams are likely more favored than others thanks to this round’s results. That being said, just because Baskonia and Olympiacos lost this time, they cannot be considered ruled out yet with respective victories next week. Zalgiris, Olimpia Milano, Maccabi, and Olympiacos will seek that valuable eighth spot.
Photo credit: Twitter / BC Zalgiris Kaunas