Hedgeout Stories – 3 things to focus on in EuroLeague Round 30

The EuroLeague regular season is heading to its finale with five games to go and the playoff race remains hot, with several teams fighting for a place in the postseason.

Hedgeout.net takes a look at Round 30 games, which can see a couple of title contenders (Barcelona and Monaco) clinch a playoff spot. Here are three things to focus on for Thursday’s and Friday’s games:

#1 – Barcelona and Monaco can advance to the EuroLeague playoffs after Round 30

Barcelona and Monaco are among the main contenders for the EuroLeague championship. The two powerhouses currently share the third place in the standings with a 19-10 record and are also frontrunners to claim the home-court advantage.

This week, the Catalans and the Monegasques can book their tickets to the postseason, even though only the “Blaugrana” depend on their own results and can advance with a win over Panathinaikos at OAKA Altion in Athens.

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If that doesn’t happen, they will need a few of the other playoff contenders to lose their respective games. The same goes for Monaco, which can’t qualify only with a home win over Valencia.

Read here the clinching EuroLeague playoff scenarios for Barcelona and Monaco

So far, Olympiacos and Real Madrid have been the two teams that have officially booked their ticket to the playoffs. The “Reds” and “Whites” are also the favorites for a Top-2 finish.

Nikola Mirotic Barcelona Monaco
Photo: EuroLeague Basketball

#2 – Will Armani Milano stay alive in the playoff race?

Armani Milano is playing some impressive basketball over the past few weeks and is attempting a major comeback in playoff contention.

After being at 6-15 following Round 21, the Italians have won seven of their last eight (six straight) and are just two wins away from the final playoff spot, with Baskonia and Zalgiris Kaunas having a 15-14 record.

Coming off a road triumph over Fenerbahce on Tuesday, Armani will have a chance to come a step closer to the final playoff spot, as they host Bayern Munich on Friday, with the Bavarians being on the brink of elimination.

Even if they beat Bayern, the Italians have a very difficult schedule ahead with trips to Istanbul (Anadolu Efes) and Tel-Aviv (Maccabi) next week before facing Barcelona (home) and rivals Virtus Bologna (road) in their regular season finale.

Despite its struggles, Armani’s recent streak has kept its playoff hopes alive, but the Italians know that any defeat in the remaining games will put an end to their postseason dreams.

Shabazz Napier Armani Milano Fenerbahce
Photo: EuroLeague Basketball

#3 – EuroLeague playoff race remains hot with 5 games to go

As we are heading to the final games of the regular season, the playoff race remains hot with eight teams fighting for the final three playoff spots.

Three wins separate Maccabi (16-13) and Partizan (16-13) from Armani Milano (13-16) and Virtus Bologna (13-16), while four teams are in between (Baskonia and Zalgiris at 15-14), Anadolu Efes and Valencia at 14-15).

At the moment, the Israelis and the Serbians are frontrunners to book their ticket to the postseason, given how well they play, while the Basques and the Lithuanians remain inconsistent especially away from home.

Anadolu Efes has a lot of ups and downs, but they have three of their last four games at home and their only road game is vs fellow powerhouse Fenerbahce. Hence, they still have a good chance of reaching the postseason as No.8 in the standings.

Vasilije Micic Anadolu Efes Partizan EuroLeague
Photo: EuroLeague Basketball

Meanwhile, Valencia’s recent free fall (four straight losses) trimmed their chances and their tough schedule (four of their last five on the road) makes the task even more difficult.

Last but not least, Armani Milano attempts a major comeback, but they can’t afford to lose any of their remaining games, while Virtus plays inconsistently especially on the road and their schedule includes three of its last five away from home.

Expect the EuroLeague playoff race to remain tight until the regular season finale, as Maccabi and Partizan have their sights set on fifth-placed Fenerbahce as well, as the Turks are just one win ahead of them (17-12).

Chris Jones Valencia
Photo: EuroLeague Basketball

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