Only They've Done It: Zvezda Must Emulate Miami to Beat Barcelona!

Pulse Sports Team 16:40 - 21 April 2026

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet faces an incredibly tough challenge to reach the EuroLeague playoffs. They must secure victories in two away games to make it to the final postseason bracket, and the path to the finals is clear. Only one team in a similar play-in position has managed to reach the finals, and that was the Miami Heat in 2023.

It's noteworthy that in both instances the EuroLeague Play-In has been contested, the 7th and 8th seeded teams have advanced to the playoffs. Baskonia and Maccabi Tel Aviv achieved this in 2024, mirroring the success of Paris and Real Madrid last year.

Interestingly, Baskonia was subsequently eliminated by Real Madrid (3-0), and Maccabi faced a similar fate, being knocked out by Panathinaikos in a five-game series (3-2). Paris's quarterfinal run was halted by Fenerbahçe (3-0), who ultimately went on to become champions. The Madrid side was defeated by Olympiacos (3-1).

The only team to achieve significant success from the play-in format was the Miami Heat in 2023. That season, the Florida-based team lost their initial play-in game for the seventh seed to Atlanta, forcing them to fight their way through the bracket. They then eliminated the Eastern Conference's top seed, the Milwaukee Bucks, before the New York Knicks felt the wrath of Jimmy Butler. In the Eastern Conference Finals, Miami once again shocked the world by defeating the Boston Celtics. Ultimately, they couldn't overcome the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals.

The blueprint for Crvena Zvezda is clear. Miami is the only play-in team to have advanced so far. If Zvezda defeats Barcelona, they will face the loser of the Panathinaikos – Monaco match. Should they triumph there as well, the red-and-whites will then play Olympiacos in the quarterfinals.