Real Madrid-Paris Basketball: another crunch match in fight for EuroLeague playoffs
The Whites will be looking to secure a win to keep them in the top six and, at the very least, secure a play-in place (9 pm CET).
Real Madrid face their third straight crunch match against a direct challenger in the fight for the EuroLeague playoffs. After winning their previous two encounters against Milan and KK Crvena Zvezda, this evening the Whites will be vying to secure the spoils against a Paris Basketball team with whom they are tied in the standings, but have a better overall basket average and, for now, a better individual basket average as well. With two games remaining in the Regular Season, a Madridista triumph would allow them to go into the final game with a chance of finishing in the top six, which gives them direct access to the playoffs.
Never before has the EuroLeague been so evenly matched. Between third and twelfth place there are 10 teams playing for a place in the play-offs for the title. Among them, Real Madrid. The Whites go into this penultimate round in eighth position, with the same number of wins as Anadolu Efes, Barcelona, KK Crvena Zvezda and Paris Basketball. In the individual basket average, they are ahead of everyone except the Turks. This evening, they will be defending the 11-point advantage they gained in the French capital (85-96).
Chus Mateo’s charges go into this next crunch match on their best winning run of the season, with eight in a row (four in the league and four in the EuroLeague). However, they will have to be at their best again against a Paris Basketball team that has stood among the best all season. They go into the clash on the back of a win at Panathinaikos and the motivation to make history with their first-ever playoff appearance. In this frantic round of fixtures, Madrid are just one win away from fifth place and two wins away from fourth and third. A victory today would mathematically ensure a top-10 finish and at least a place in the play-in.
Strong start and solid defence
Madrid have stepped up at the decisive moment of the season and they have done so through their solid defence and focus. In the last four victories in a row, their start in the game has been instrumental, as they won the first quarters by an average difference of 15.7 points (9-22 against Virtus Bologna, 31-16 against Milan, 32-10 against Asvel and 17-30 against KK Crvena Zvezda). After that, they were able to preserve it with their best defensive performance of the season (74.5 points against). Against them, a very gifted offensive team spearheaded by TJ Shorts, the second-highest rated player in the EuroLeague. A big night is in store at the Movistar Arena.