Real Madrid-Zalgiris Kaunas: all eyes on another EuroLeague win
Scariolo's boys host one of the best performers so far this season in Round 12 (8:45 pm CET).
Real Madrid are gearing up for Round 12 of the EuroLeague at the Movistar Arena. Our team welcome Zalgiris Kaunas, one of the standout teams of the campaign to date, in the first of three games ahead of the international break (8:45 pm CET).
The end of November is set to be crucial for Scariolo's boys. Following their clash with the Lithuanian outfit, they face two tough away trips to Coviran Granada and Hapoel. Madrid must continue to pick up points in what has been a hard-fought campaign to date. They sit on the fringes of the playoff spots (5-6), just two wins behind Zalgiris (7-4).
Tonight's opponents have been one of the best sides in this edition of the EuroLeague.
On the road, they've taken wins from Monaco, Bayern and Barça, though they have lost their last two against Olympiacos and Dubai Basketball. They've strengthened their ranks, too. Alongside the Americans Wright, and former madridista Williams-Goss (an injury doubt), Maodo Lo and Sylvain Francisco have also come in. The French point guard is the metronome for a Kaunas team that also boasts talent like Brazdeikis, Tubelis, Sirvydis, Ulanovas and Butkevicius.
Power and depth on the inside
Real Madrid will have to make their strength in the paint tell. Garuba put on a stunning display against Bilbao Basket on Sunday, while Tavares posted a double-double on his last EuroLeague outing against Panathinaikos (20 points and 10 rebounds). The duo are leading the team in the competition so far, alongside Maledon and Lyles. Everyone will have to deliver if we're to breach the second best defense (79.6) and pick up a sixth EuroLeague victory this evening.