Žalgiris

Although many basketball analysts predicted before the season that the Olimpia Milano team would undoubtedly be in the top eight, and Žalgiris would likely remain in the 12-16 places – it seems that the predictions will not come true. Olimpia Milano cannot find a way to victories and remains one of the most unstable teams in the league. Meanwhile, Žalgiris has improved their game and is currently one of the “hottest” teams in the league.

Žalgiris (10-15) recovered from a sluggish season start, which began with only 3 wins in 12 games played. With just over 20% accuracy from the three-point zone in the first 10 games of the season, the Žalgiris players managed to improve their shooting, resulting in victories. Now Žalgiris has won 7 matches in the last 10 games played, 4 of the last 5, including 3 consecutive home arena victories. In the last 5 games played, they defeated Berlin Alba (104-80), Villeurbanne-Asvel (79-74), Olympiacos (94-69), and Baskonia (74-60). The only loss in recent matches was against Anadolu Efes (91-96), after a very tough fight.

All players in the Žalgiris team, except for Marius Grigonis, are ready to take to the court. The only R. Jokubaitis from the Kauno Žalgiris team was away helping the Lithuanian national team in the Eurobasket qualifiers, while all other players were preparing for this match with the team. Žalgiris is the clear favorite in Friday's match, but the fact that the Milano team is well-balanced and can certainly surprise should not be underestimated.

Olimpia Milano

Olimpia Milano (11-14) lured big names to the team during the offseason, including the Italian called the basketball professor, E. Messina. It should be emphasized that this team only lured “names” because the team's game is absolutely not coming together, and if the start of the season seemed promising, the team's fans are once again disappointed. Essentially, the chances to fight for the top 8 are not lost yet, but seeing the results of recent games and overall, evaluating the quality of the game – if nothing drastically changes, we will likely not see the Milano team in the playoffs. 6 losses in the last 7 games played, and the only victory was achieved by eliminating a 14-point deficit and miraculously saving themselves against one of the league's outsiders – Bayern basketball players, playing at home.

Meanwhile, the last time a victory was achieved away was on 2019-10-18, in a match against Berlin Alba. This happened just over 3 months ago, and during that period, 9 consecutive away games were lost, which once again shows how weak this team is when playing in other arenas. The biggest hope for the Milano team in today's match is the brilliance and leadership of S. Rodriguez, as this player usually plays excellently against Žalgiris. If he feels the rhythm of the game, makes shots, and creates opportunities for his teammates, Olimpia might have a chance to win. However, the probability remains very small.

Prediction

Kauno Žalgiris has already won 3 consecutive home games, and the last two were achieved with a margin of more than 24 points. The team indeed looks in great sporting form, all players know their roles and feel great in them. Meanwhile, the Milano team still hasn't found its identity, we don't see stable play, the results are poor, and indeed, there is little positivity in the team. Žalgiris should resolve matters well before the end of the game, where only formalities would remain.