Tonight’s against Zalgiris Kaunas will not be just any game for Barça. And it won’t be, in the first place, because both Jasikevicius and three of the squad members served for the Lithuanian team in the past. But it will also be a special meeting because it is the only one they have this week: Without double European commitment or league on the weekend, Barça players will enjoy a more than atypical week on the tight schedule.
Both Jasikevivius and Davies, one of those who played in Kaunas, already know what it is to face Zalgiris, as both were already in the Catalan squad last year. Not so two of the signings of this summer, who for the first time will be measured to the one that was his club. Jokubaitis and Hayes-Davis wore green before moving to Barça.
After a week with more rest than usual Calathes is more than likely already available for the match. He traveled to Burgos, tried himself and did not play, but the mere fact of traveling already indicates that he was on the verge of participating in that match. Who has it more complicated, but could still be, is Higgins. The North American has a low back pain that has already taken him away from the court for several games. Two sensitive casualties, however, his team has not noticed excessively.
And is that after the defeat at the Palau against Valencia, Barça has recovered game and sensations. In Euroleague they accumulate three consecutive victories (Baskonia, CSKA and ASVEL) in three very complete games of Jasikevicius’. What’s more, Zalgiris is the bottom of the category with a 2-9. He started the campaign with nine defeats in a row but has won the last two games. Moral will not miss to try to give the bell at the Palau and win the third.
For this, those from Kaunas will have to give their best version and hope that Barça does not have the night. Because in addition to Mirotic, with excellent numbers in the Euroleague, in the last games, players like Laprovittola, Jokubaitis or Sanli are showing that they can also be decisive.