FC Barcelona Lassa at Khimki
Date: 12/6
Time: 6:00 PM CET
Game Preview
A Barcelona squad coming off its worst loss of the season will head to Russia to square off against a Khimki team that has dropped three straight since getting off to a 6-2 start. Barcelona will be led by Nikola Mirotic, who sits no worse than sixth in the league in all of points, rebounds, and index rating per game. Khimki will be led by a more balanced attack, as four players are currently averaging double figures heading into Round 12. One thing is for sure heading into Friday's contest -- one team will get back on track, and the other will spend another week looking for answers.
Injuries
FC Barcelona Lassa
Victor Claver - OUT - Foot
12/5 8:34 PM IST - Claver (foot) will resume practicing next week, according to Ernest Macia of Catalunya Radio. Claver will not return at the front end of his 4-to-6 week recovery timeline, but he could still be back on the court at some point during the original estimate.
Thomas Heurtel - OUT - Knee
8/13 12:19 AM IST - Heurtel underwent surgery for a knee injury suffered in the FIBA World Cup and will be sidelined for five months, Eurohoops.net reports. The projected recovery timeline means that Heurtel won't be available for the start of the upcoming EuroLeague campaign. Heurtel, who re-signed with FC Barcelona Lassa on a two-year extension in the offseason, averaged 10.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists over 21.1 minutes per contest in 2018-19. Kevin Pangos is the most likely candidate to pick up minutes at point guard while Heurtel is on the mend.
Kevin Pangos - OUT - Toe
12/3 11:47 PM IST - Pangos is still dealing with soreness in his injured toe and will be evaluated on a "week-by-week" basis moving forward, according to eurohoops.net. It was anticipated that Pangos would return to action in 4-to-6 weeks after injuring his toe in September, but he has already missed two months and will need even more time to fully recover. A target date for his return has not been established, but based on this report, it seems safe to say he will not play in Barcelona's next EuroLeague game Friday against Khimki.
Khimki
Timofey Mozgov - OUT - Undisclosed
11/6 10:12 PM IST - Mozgov (undisclosed) remains sidelined, according to Khimki's official website. Khimki is getting healthier as a team, but Mozgov continues to work his way back from his injury. A timeline for his return remains uncertain.
Egor Vialtsev - GTD - Knee
11/29 9:08 PM IST - Vialtsev (knee) was on Khimki's roster for Thursday's loss to Fenerbahce. Vialtsev did not play in Round 11, but his inclusion among his club's 12 active players signals he could return to action in the near future.
FC Barcelona Lassa Probable Starters
G - Cory Higgins
G - Adam Hanga
F - Rolands Smits
F - Nikola Mirotic
C - Brandon Davies
Khimki Probable Starters
G - Alexey Shved
G - Stefan Jovic
F - Anthony Gill
F - Janis Timma
C - Devin Booker
Top Dream11.com Picks
(Captain) Nikola Mirotic, BAR: Mirotic has more than gotten the job done in his first season with Barcelona, finding himself among league leaders in several categories. He has scored in double figures in all but one game so far this season, and grabbed double-digit rebounds in both Round 9 and 10.
Alexey Shved, BCK: Shved's jumper has not been too efficient that season, but that matters a whole lot less in a single-game contest. Shved is averaging 16 shots from the field per game and has scored in double figures in every Round.
Devin Booker, BCK: Booker failed to reach double figures in two of the last three games, but he did hit that mark in seven straight games before that and picked up his first double-double of the season in Round 10.
Captaincy Options
Grand League Combination
Mirotic, Shved, Higgins
Small League Combination
Mirotic, Booker, Timma
