By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
What an intense week it was! The El Clasico turned out to a triumph for Barcelona in a big night for its past leader Juan Carlos Navarro, whose jersey is now hung up in Palau Blaugrana.
While no team sealed its ticket to the playoffs in this round, things are getting hot in the standings! Efes didn’t manage to make a step forward against first-placed Fenerbahce, though Olimpia Milano‘s late run vs. Khimki produced was one of the most important results that took place in this round.
MVP
Barcelona was the big winner of the Clasico for the first time since the launch of the new EuroLeague format and the Croatian big man played a key role in this statement win. Tomic posted 22 points and 13 rebounds in his 29 minutes on the court, leading Barcelona past their big rival and all the way to the Top 4 of the standings.
Best Five
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- Kostas Sloukas: The Greek guard posted 17 points, 5 rebounds an 4 assists in an all-around performance vs. Efes.
- Sergio Rodriguez: CSKA got past Olympiacos paced by his huge double-double of 15 points and season-high 12 assists.
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo: He had a career-high in EuroLeague with 16 points and four boards as Panathinaikos cruised past Gran Canaria.
- Tarik Black: He was nearly perfect as Maccabi took down Darussafaka, adding 17 points and eight boards for a PIR of 23.
- Ante Tomic: The MVP of this round did everything for Barca while dominating the paint.
Coach of the week: Velimir Perasovic
Baskonia got a big result against visiting Zalgiris on Thursday that currently puts the team in a tie with Bayern in the standings. It remains to be seen if the Vitoria side can use this winning momentum to secure a place in the playoffs.
Last word: Saying goodbye to a EuroLeague legend
Juan Carlos Navarro’s legacy in European basketball will forever be remembered, and on Friday night he was honored like the legend he is ahead of the El Clasico derby in Barcelona. His jersey was lifted up in the Palau Blaugrana sky while the Spanish legend received a standing ovation from the crowd. It’s already been 24 rounds in the EuroLeague without JCN and the feeling doesn’t sink in yet.