A crucial matchday features a key battle for top seeding: Valencia Basket vs. Kosner Baskonia. Meanwhile, Zaragoza plays for survival. Here are the keys to the weekend.
Matchday 30 began two Wednesdays ago, on April 29, with Unicaja 100-101 Dreamland Gran Canaria and will close in two Wednesdays, on May 20, with La Laguna Tenerife - Asisa Joventut (21:00, peninsular time). The reason behind these schedule changes is the participation of Unicaja and Baskonia in the Basketball Champions League Final Four.
There is only one win separating 2nd from 5th; 6th from 9th; or 14th from 17th. The regular season is heading toward a photo finish!!
SATURDAY, MAY 9
18:00 Barcelona - Recoletas Salud San Pablo Burgos
🏀 The matchup: Barcelona is historically undefeated against their next opponent (11-0). In the first meeting, Recoletas Salud San Pablo Burgos came closer than ever to beating the blaugranas, but the rim rejected Neto's potential game-winner (79-80). Samuels Jr and Laprovittola led the way with 23 points each. Xavi Pascual's team doubled Burgos in three-point shooting (37% vs 19%).
📊 The stat: Barcelona can secure their spot in the 2026 Playoffs with a win at the Palau in this very matchday.
👤 The protagonist: Gonzalo Corbalán's level in the final stretch of the season is that of an absolute star. The Argentine is averaging 23 points, 3.7 assists, and 48% from three-point range over the last three matchdays.
🚑 Medical report: Laprovittola and Clyburn ("I'll prepare myself to finish the season strong") are confirmed absences, while Tomas Satoransky (lower back soreness), Jan Vesely (right knee soreness), and Nikola Kusturica (right ankle sprain) also didn't play in the last game. For the visiting team, Luke Fischer appears to be a sure absence due to an ankle sprain, while Ethan Happ (foot contusion) and Pablo Almazán (back issues) also arrive banged up. "Of those three injuries, probably at least one will definitely play," noted Porfi Fisac.
18:00 Casademont Zaragoza - Coviran Granada
🏀 The matchup: Coviran Granada clings to their last chances of staying in the league on a court, the Príncipe Felipe, where they've won in their last two visits. In December, Casademont Zaragoza broke a streak of five straight losses against the Andalusian side by winning in Granada 83-92. The Aragonese were only 21 seconds behind on the scoreboard and dominated the boards (29-41), led by Yusta (20 points) and Dubljevic (25 rating).
📊 The stat: A loss could be almost decisive for Coviran Granada, who will mathematically drop to the relegation zone if they lose and Recoletas Salud San Pablo Burgos and/or MoraBanc Andorra win.
👤 The protagonist: Santi Yusta, one of the best players of the season, will become the all-time leader in games played for Casademont Zaragoza in Liga Endesa. The small forward has played 149 games with the club, the same as Jonathan Barreiro. He's also 6 three-pointers and 39 rating points away from reaching #1 in the Aragonese ranking. LEGEND.
Yusta's standing ovation at the Príncipe Felipe© acb Photo / Esther Casas
🚑 Medical report: DJ Stephens and Trae Bell-Haynes remain sidelined, though the latter has started training. "Let him get some feel for it, with no guarantees," clarifies Joan Plaza. Howard, Alibegovic, and Brimah are questionable for the Granada team. Burjanadze is improving but not yet ready.
18:00 UCAM Murcia - Bàsquet Girona
🏀 The matchup: Two ambitious teams face off, both having already matched their best Liga Endesa win records (21 and 13, respectively) and wanting to keep approaching their goals. Only one can break their personal record in this matchday.
📊 The stat: UCAM Murcia, already qualified for the Playoffs and eyeing home-court advantage, wants to repeat the first-meeting result (71-93). The university team broke that game open in the fourth quarter after 30 minutes of close play. On the other side, Bàsquet Girona, who won in their previous visit to the Palacio, hasn't said their final word in the Playoff race and can secure European competition for the first time by winning.
👤 The protagonist: Sergi Martínez (737) is just 8 rating points away from surpassing Ike Iroegbu (744) as Bàsquet Girona's all-time leader in Liga Endesa rating. The Catalan small forward has been a starter in 85% of games since joining the Fontajau-based team (74 of 87).
Sergi Martínez high-fives fans© acb Photo / Sergi Geronès
🚑 Medical report: The big local question mark is Devontae Cacok's availability after not training all week. Fjellerup remains sidelined for Bàsquet Girona, but Maric and Juan Fernández are back.
SUNDAY, MAY 10
12:00 Hiopos Lleida - Surne Bilbao
🏀 The matchup: Will Surne Bilbao finally break into the Playoff zone after 15 straight matchdays in 9th place? First, they must beat a Hiopos Lleida team very close to securing their Liga Endesa survival.
📊 The stat: The home team, whichever it is, has won all three previous meetings in this series. This includes the Matchday 10 clash, when Surne Bilbao put together a brilliant second half in which they scored 61 points and built a +17 lead to win 93-75.
👤 The protagonist: Oriol Paulí arrives at the decisive stretch of the season in exultant form, having recorded 100 rating points over the last four matchdays. In that span, the small forward has ranged between 15 and 28 points.
🚑 Medical report: Gyorgy Goloman remains sidelined for Hiopos and John Surna is questionable. Surne Bilbao is at full strength.
12:30 MoraBanc Andorra - BAXI Manresa
🏀 The matchup: MoraBanc Andorra needs a win to at least tie their closest rival in the survival battle, Dreamland Gran Canaria (16th, 9-21). Zan Tabak's team wants to break their streak of three straight home losses and face a BAXI Manresa that, with a win, will mathematically secure their Liga Endesa survival.
📊 The stat: In the first meeting, Obasohan was decisive with 22 points and a +25 plus-minus in a hard-fought home victory (91-84). The Belgian just came off scoring the fastest 30 points in Manresa's history.
👤 The protagonist: Kyle Kuric's game-winner was the standout play from the last matchday. The shooting guard closed with 17 points in the fourth quarter a three-point shooting display rarely seen in Liga Endesa. He went a perfect 6-for-6 from beyond the arc, making him the third player in history with multiple games of 6+ three-pointers made without a miss. The other two? Alberto Herreros (6/6 in 1999 and 2001) and Sasha Djordjevic (8/8 and 7/7 in 1998).
🚑 Medical report: Everyone available at MoraBanc. Hugo Benitez and Eli Brooks are confirmed absences for BAXI Manresa, with two question marks until the last moment: Agustín Ubal and Louis Olinde.
17:00 Real Madrid - Río Breogán
🏀 The matchup: Real Madrid returns from their tour in Bulgaria to face Río Breogán at the Movistar Arena. This venue witnessed in the last matchday the highest-scoring game in acb history (254) and also a cartoon-like Hezonja who broke the SuperManager all-time record (63.6). Among many other milestones.
👤 The protagonist: The Croatian was also decisive in the first meeting at the Pazo against the Lucense club. He led Madrid's victory (85-103) with 28 points of his own, 6 rebounds, two assists, and 10-for-14 shooting. SuperMario stepped up in the decisive stretch, scoring 23 of those 28 points in the second half.
📊 The stat: Río Breogán has won just twice in 21 visits to the white house. The last one was more than 23 years ago, in 2002, with Andreu Casadevall at the helm. The other Lucense upset came in 1992 with José Antonio Figueroa as coach and under the direction of legends like Manel Sánchez, Randy Allen, and Claude Riley.
🚑 Medical report: Edy Tavares remains sidelined. Jordan Sakho probably won't play again this season, while DeWayne Russell has already trained with full normalcy.
19:00 Valencia Basket - Kosner Baskonia
🏀 The matchup: Only one win and two points in head-to-head average separate both teams in the standings. Valencia Basket, coming off two demanding commitments in Athens, won the first meeting against Kosner Baskonia in a thrilling final sequence that ended with Taylor's game-winner at the buzzer (89-91). The 26 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and two steals from Luwawu-Cabarrot weren't enough.
📊 The stat: Kosner Baskonia will officially be a Playoff team if they win this game or, failing that, if their neighbors Surne Bilbao lose on Sunday at midday.
😱 A wild precedent: The last Baskonia visit to Valencia ended in a road victory after TWO overtimes in a game for the history books (125-128). It was the highest-scoring game in acb history... until a week ago. That day, all eyes were on the duel between Montero (32 points) and Howard (36 points, 15 of them in overtime).
🚑 Medical report: Valencia Basket has to play their European competition game this Friday. Puerto left injured in the previous game and XLA was sidelined. The good news for Kosner Baskonia is that Sedekerskis is already training and could return to the court as soon as this Sunday. Galbiati has revealed that two players have fever, without specifying who.