Barcelona vs Zalgiris Kaunas

Barcelona took a major step toward securing a EuroLeague playoff spot with a pivotal win over Partizan, fueled by a dominant second-quarter performance. The Catalans now hold a 16-13 record and have a favorable schedule to close out the regular season, especially with multiple home games at Palau Blaugrana. If they deliver as expected in their remaining home matchups and reach 19 wins, they should comfortably secure a top-8 finish, with a chance to climb as high as sixth. Despite battling injuries, the team has shown consistent improvement, highlighted by an impressive showing against Andorra last weekend.

The last time around, Barcelona won. They defeated Partizan at home, 87-80.

Their last game, which was played at home, was won by Zalgiris Kaunas. The victory over Paris Basketball was 83-81.

In their most recent meeting, Zalgiris defeated Barcelona. A score of 74-67 was achieved. Barcelona has won seven of the last ten head-to-head matches.

Barcelona’s key players have been in stellar form recently. Kevin Punter was unstoppable against Partizan, delivering a near-flawless shooting performance. Jabari Parker followed suit with a 34-point explosion against Andorra. Chimezie Metu has been a reliable contributor on both ends of the floor, while Willy Hernangomez is gradually earning more minutes after initially struggling to meet head coach Joan Penarroya’s defensive expectations. Tomas Satoransky is also regaining his form, and the team as a whole appears to be hitting its stride at the right time.

Meanwhile, Zalgiris staged a thrilling comeback against Paris last week, erasing a 20-point deficit to clinch an 83-81 victory with a last-second shot from Sylvain Francisco. The win kept their hopes alive for a EuroLeague play-in spot, but the road ahead is challenging. They will need at least one, possibly two, wins in their upcoming away games against Barcelona, Monaco, and Asvel to stay in contention.

Defensively, Zalgiris remains one of the strongest teams in the competition, boasting the best defensive rating and allowing the fewest points per game. However, their offensive struggles have held them back. The departure of Lonnie Walker has surprisingly improved their ball movement, creating better scoring opportunities. Ignas Brazdeikis is playing his best basketball of the season, and new signing Isaiah Wong has made an immediate impact. Laurynas Birutis has also contributed in limited minutes, though Alen Smailagic has largely taken over his role in the rotation.

Žalgiris have been in impressive form, securing victories in eight of their last nine matches across all competitions. However, their underwhelming start to the EuroLeague season has left them sitting in 13th place. Despite this setback, the gap to the play-in spots remains small, keeping their hopes of finishing in the top ten alive. While Barcelona thrives on fast-paced offensive play, the Lithuanian side prioritizes a defensive strategy. Under Andrea Trinchieri’s guidance, they have the lowest scoring average in the EuroLeague (77.6 points per game) but also boast the league’s best defensive record, allowing just 78.1 points per game.

Historically, Žalgiris have struggled to score against Barcelona, recording fewer than 78.5 points in six of their last seven meetings. They rely on a slow, physical style of play and rank eighth in rebounding (33.9 per game). This approach proved successful in their previous outing, where they edged past Paris with a hard-fought 83-81 victory. Francisco played a crucial role, contributing 15 points and eight assists. The squad remains largely injury-free, with the exception of Lekavičius, who is expected to return in early April.