© Pahnke
Back to Spain: Bayern's basketball team is heading back to the Iberian Peninsula for the start of the last double-week in the EuroLeague. This time, however, they are traveling further south to the Mediterranean, as the German champions visit FC Barcelona on Tuesday. Both teams—along with two others, Paris and Red Star—hold 17 wins after 30 game days and are hoping to secure a spot in the postseason. Tip-off is at 8:30 PM (MagentaSport).
Thursday Against Partizan
After two consecutive losses, head coach Gordon Herbert's team is looking to keep their playoff chances alive despite the formidable challenge posed by the in-form Catalans. Just 48 hours later, Bayern will play its penultimate home game of the regular season in a sold-out SAP Garden against another direct competitor, Partizan Belgrade (15-15). Before that, the Serbian team will face bottom-ranked Berlin on Tuesday.
In Barcelona, Bayern will encounter a host team riding a three-game winning streak, surely aware of the Bavarians' impressive first-leg victory in November (100-78). Barça has regained form, especially with the return of top star Kevin Punter (14.9 PPG), who was sidelined for weeks due to injury. Despite the absences of Jan Vesely and Nico Laprovittola, the Spanish giants remain a formidable force. Veteran NBA forward Jabari Parker (11.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG) has been a consistent presence throughout the season, while other overseas-experienced players like Justin Anderson (6.7 PPG), Chimezie Metu (11.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG), and Tomas Satoransky (7.5 PPG, 4.2 APG) are finding their rhythm as a unit.
Stars Parker and Punter
Alongside several Spanish national team players such as Alex Abrines (6.6 PPG), Dario Brizuela (7.3 PPG), and Willy Hernangomez (8.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG), Barça also boasts the towering presence of 2.23-meter center Youssoupha Fall (7.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG), giving them remarkable squad depth.
"Barcelona is clearly in a very strong phase right now," said Coach Herbert before departure on Tuesday afternoon. "We want to build on the things we did well in Saturday’s league game compared to last Thursday. But we still have to improve. Barcelona is another big, physical team that forces the most turnovers in the EuroLeague. So we need to take great care of the ball and avoid giving away easy points. We must be solid in transition defense, slow them down in the half-court, and prevent second chances."
Even in the Spanish ACB league, Barça is climbing back to its usual position in the standings. However, they struggled at home on Sunday in a narrow 97-95 win against Zaragoza, with Nigerian forward Metu (16 points) and Parker (14 points) leading the scoring.