Zalgiris – Bayern
International - Euroleague, Round 9
17/11/2023 - 19:00 CET
Zalgiris is going through an unexpected crisis. They started the season with road wins against Virtus and Baskonia, suggesting they would continue where they left off last season. However, Valencia and Asvel shockingly beat them in Kaunas, signaling that things wouldn't run smoothly. Following that, Zalgiris lost two away games to Anadolu Efes and Panathinaikos, although they had a chance to win in both clashes. This season, Zalgiris relies heavily on three-point shooting, hitting 42.3% from downtown, making them the best in the EuroLeague in that aspect. Keenan Evans and Rolands Smits are performing well, but Edgaras Ulanovas is not at the expected level. Head coach Kazys Maksyvitis has done great things with this team so far, but now he must find a way out of the crisis.
Bayern is also struggling at the beginning of the season, sharing an identical record with Zalgiris (3-5). They ended their four-game losing streak on Wednesday by defeating Partizan at home. While Zalgiris is the best shooting team in the EuroLeague, Bayern is the worst, hitting only 29.7% from three-point range. This number was even lower before the game against Partizan, but considering the defensive problems of the black and whites, Bayern found many open looks in that matchup. Andreas Obst and Isaac Bonga were absent on Wednesday due to injuries. There is a possibility that both will be in the roster in Kaunas, but they may not be at 100% fitness. Vladimir Lucic is still out, which is a significant problem for Bayern. The positive note is that Carsen Edwards has started to play at the level for which he was brought in, and Serge Ibaka consistently poses problems for opposing centers.
This game is undoubtedly much more critical for Zalgiris. They face a very tough schedule ahead, and if they lose here, they will have a mountain to climb to get back into the playoff race. Last season, they were one of the best home teams in the EuroLeague, and now they are on a streak of two losses in front of their fans. Bayern, alongside Alba and Asvel, has shown the least in this competition so far, and Zalgiris cannot afford failure here, especially in a situation where Bayern might be in a shortened rotation. Zalgiris' shooting is much better, and if those average percentages don't change drastically on Friday night, Bayern will have an extremely tough task to secure a second consecutive win in the EuroLeague. The key for Zalgiris will be not allowing Ibaka and Booker to dominate them under the basket, meaning the roles of Hayes and Smits in this game will be crucial.