Top 16 Game 3 - March 01, 2007 CET: 20:45 Local time: 20:45 - PALAU BLAUGRANA

Records

Ave.   Ave.
0-0 Final Four 0-0
0-0 Playoffs 0-0
0-0 Top 16 0-0
0-0 Regular Season 1-0
10-6 Overall 8-8

Referees

Crew Chief
VOREADIS, LAZAROS, Greece
Referee
LAMONICA, LUIGI, Italy
Umpire
HERCEG, SINISA, Croatia

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
79.2 Points 75.3
31.5 Rebounds 31.2
9.9 O. Rebounds 8.3
21.6 D. Rebounds 22.9
16.1 Assists 11.8
8.5 Steals 7.6
3.4 Blocks 3.2
12.7 Turnovers 12.3
55.0 % 2PT 52.3 %
39.7 % 3PT 35.8 %
76.5 % FT 72.0 %
92.6 Index 77.9

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
17.3 / Navarro Points 14.2 / Nicholas
4.7 / TRIAS, JORDI Rebounds 6.2 / HAISLIP, MARCUS
2.1 / TRIAS, JORDI OR 1.9 / Gonlum
3.1 / MARCONATO, DENIS DR 4.8 / HAISLIP, MARCUS
3.6 / Lakovic Assists 3.3 / Nicholas
1.2 / Basile Steals 1.0 / PRKACIN, NIKOLA
1.4 / Vazquez Blocks 1.9 / HAISLIP, MARCUS
2.3 / Lakovic Turnovers 2.1 / Nicholas
67.7 % / TRIAS, JORDI 2PT 60.8 % / Gonlum
50.0 % / TRIAS, JORDI 3PT 41.7 % / Nicholas
89.6 % / Navarro FT 80.0 % / ERDEN, CUNEYT
17.1 / Navarro Index 15.6 / HAISLIP, MARCUS

THE TAKE

A battle of Euroleague powerhouses in Top 16 Group F is set to take place in Barcelona, where Winterthur FCB hosts Efes Pilsen on Thursday. Barcelona (1-1) hopes to bounce back from its road loss against group leader Panathinaikos last week while Efes Pilsen (0-2) needs to start winning right away in order to keep its playoff chances alive. Efes might be without Cenk Akyol (5.9 ppg.) and Horace Jenkins (14.5 ppg.), who are questionable for this game, so players like Cuneyt Erden 4.2 ppg., 41.7% 3FG), Mustafa Abi (1.6 ppg.) and a fully recovered Antonio Granger (5 ppg., 45.5% 3FG) will be called upon to help top gun Drew Nicholas (14.2 ppg., 41.7% 3FG, 3.3 apg.). Erden and Nicholas will share the point guard duties and go against Jaka Lakovic (10.6 ppg., 3.6 apg.) and Roko-Leni Ukic (5 ppg., 47.6% 3FG). Meanwhile, Nicholas and Granger will test their shooting skills against scoring machine Juan Carlos Navarro (17.3 ppg., 89.6% FT) and offensive-minded guard Gianluca Basile (10.7 ppg., 42.7% 3FG). Granger is set to have a big battle against defensive aces Roger Grimau (3.2 ppg.) and Rodrigo De La Fuente (4.2 ppg., 42.9% 3FG). The battle in the paint will arguably be the biggest key to this game, as Efes will try to get use its deep frontcourt to an advantage. Marcus Haislip (13.7 ppg., 6.2 rpg., 1.9 bpg.) is a natural-born mismatch due to his combination of speed, size, range and athleticism, but he might have some trouble against mobile forward Jordi Trias (6.8 ppg., 67.7% 2FG, 4.7 rpg., 2.4 apg.), who is having a career-best season. Efes has plenty to offer near the basket, as Ermal Kuqo (9.9 ppg.) offers both mid-range accuracy and power at the rim, Kerem Gonlum (5.1 ppg., 4.6 rpg.) is an outstanding offensive rebounder able to guard any big man, while Nikola Prkacin (6.4 ppg., 3.4 rpg.) highlights his set of post moves with a dangerous turnaround jumper. Prkacin and Kuqo will be ready to battle experienced center Denis Marconato (6.5 ppg., 66.1% 2FG, 4.2 rpg.) and defensive ace Fran Vazquez (5.5 ppg., 1.4 bpg.). With Mario Kasun (11.9 ppg., 87.5% FG) still sidelined, Efes may well have an advantage in the middle, but its main concern will be stopping Navarro and Lakovic. Even stopping Navarro's point production isn't always enough: he led all regular season scorers (18 ppg.) and now leads the Top 16 in assists (8.5 apg.) Above all, two classic Euroleague teams are ready to battle for a step forward in the race to the Quarterfinal Playoffs, so expect a fight to the finish in Barcelona on Thursday.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Euroleague.net - J.A. Casanova, Barcelona - Gokhan Ture, Istanbul

Quotes Head Coaches

IVANOVIC, DUSKO
Winterthur FC Barcelona
"This is a very important game for us if we want to get a spot in the playoffs. In order to achieve it, the most important thing is winning all three games at home and trying to get one or two in the away games. We know for sure that our fans will support us completely and we need their help if we want to beat as a good team as Efes is. Efes is a very physical team that is used to playing fast basketball. They are very strong in defense, one of the Euroleague’s best in this area. They never allow you to score an easy basket. They fight and fight until the end. We have to be very focused on their inside game if we want to beat them. Moreover, Drew Nicholas can take the game in his hands at any time."
MAHMUTI, OKTAY
Efes Pilsen
"Under the circumstances, it’s a kind of very important game for us. It’s also important for Winterthur Barcelona, because they are aiming for the same target. We will try to play our best against a very experienced opponent whose performance has been improving. Then we will see what’s going to happen."

Players

NAVARRO, JUAN CARLOS
Winterthur FC Barcelona
"Efes lost a lot of their options last week, after being defeated by Prokom Trefl at home. Getting this win would be a very big step for us. We don’t expect them to be a relaxed team after their two losses, because if there is any option remaining for them, they need for sure a win in Barcelona. I think our fans will be our sixth man in this game. With their help, it will be easier for us to get the win we need."
AKIN, FIKRET CAN
Efes Pilsen
"We are going through a difficult period both in the Turkish League and the Euroleague. Unfortunately, things have been going bad the last couple of games. But the most important thing in such moments is to unify and to stay strong as a team. If we are able to manage that, we can have our chances anyway. The main thing is to believe that we are capable to do everything is this league."
Juan Carlos Navarro - Winterthur FCB Winterthur FC Barcelona took a crucial step towards reaching a playoff spot in Top 16 Group F by edging Efes Pilsen 82-73 at home in Palau Blaugrana, Spain on Thursday night. Barcelona improved to 2-1 and is second in the Group F standings right behind the unbeaten leader, Panathinaikos, first at 3-0. Meanwhile, Efes Pilsen dropped to 0-3 and needs a major comeback to get to the next round. Juan Carlos Navarro led the winners with 24 points on 6-of-10 three-pointers. Jaka Lakovic added 15 and 6 assists while Jordi Trias and Fran Vazquez each had 10 for Barcelona. Marcus Haislip had 18 points for Efes, Drew Nicholas added 16, Cuneyt Erden 15 on 5-of-7 three-pointers while Niksa Prkacin scored 10 points for the guests. The game saw as many as 10 lead changes in the first half, but Vazquez had 4 points in a 11-0 run that gave Barcelona a 37-30 lead at the break. Efes rallied in the final period and a four-point play by Nicholas gave his team a 67-68 edge midway through the final period. Navarro had 8 points in a game-breaking 11-2 run that sealed the outcome down the stretch.

Lakovic got Barcelona going with a four-meter jumper but Erden answered from downtown for a 2-3 Efes edge. Basile fired in his first three-pointer but Haislip matched it with a layup-plus-foul to keep Efes ahead, 5-6. A red hot Basile nailed another triple that Trias followed with a reverse layup for a 10-6 Barcelona lead. Nicholas fed Erden for his second bomb from downtown but Barcelona kept finding troubles to adjust its man-to-man defense. Meanwhile, Navarro joined the three-point festival but a driving basket by Haislip and an easy layup by Prkacin tied the game again, 13-13. Vazquez provided a highlight with a power dunk but free throws by Haislip and a stop-and-pop jumper by Nicholas provided another lead change, 15-17. Trias hit a five-meter shot but a corner triple by Fikret Can Akin gave Efes a 17-20 edge after 10 minutes.

Marcus Haislip - Efes PilsenHaislip took over with a fallaway jumper right at the start of the second quarter. Vazquez matched it with a six-meter shot while Roger Grimau buried a corner triple to tie it at 22-22. Trias capped a 7-0 run with a dunk that put Barcelona back ahead, 24-22. Efes called timeout and Antonio Granger fired in a triple from the right wing but Trias scored again for a 26-25 Barcelona edge. Efes found a go-to guy in Erden, who nailed another three-pointer to which Grimau quickly answered with a driving layup to tie it at 28-28. Barcelona kept powering the boards and did not allow open shots now. Kakiouzis had a huge block on Kerem Gonlum and scored in the other end while Lakovic added a running triple to make Efes call timeout at 33-28. The guests kept struggling to score, while Vazquez followed a layup with free throws to cap an 11-0 run. A wild put-back dunk by Haislip brought Efes within 37-30 at halftime.

Navarro shined with a driving basket right after the break, as Efes kept struggling to score, even missing open shots now - until Nicholas buried a big triple. Lakovic answered from downtown but Erden - who else? - took over with his fourth three-pointer. Navarro and Nicholas joined the three-point shootout, as both teams kept exchanging baskets at full speed. Navarro followed a fast break layup with another bomb from downtown, but Haislip also hit a triple for a 50-44 Efes deficit. Nicholas shined with a fast break basket that made Barcelona call timeout at 50-46. Trias stepped up with a baseline jumper but Prkacin scored in the low post and Nicholas dunked it to get Efes even closer, 52-50. Lakovic hit a big shot and Vazquez added a tip-in to give the hosts some air at 56-50. Haislip made foul shots and Prkacin scored inside while Navarro and Akin traded triples before a huge put-back dunk by Prkacin tied it at 59-59 after 30 minutes.

Jaka Lakovic - Winterthur FCBVazquez left the game early in the final period with a back injury but Kakiouzis stepped up with a corner triple to give Barcelona a 62-59 edge. Efes went scoreless for more than 2 minutes while Kakiouzis hit a long jumper to make the guests call timeout at 64-59. Erden fired in another three-pointer but Lakovic answered from downtown to keep the hosts ahead, 67-62. Efes was not done, however, as Gonlum shined with a fast break layup while Nicholas simply took over with a critical four-point play to give his team a 67-68 edge. Navarro - a 90% free throw shooter - missed foul shots but hit a consecutive three-pointers to put Barcelona back ahead, 73-68, with under 3 minutes to go. Haislip hit free throws but Basile buried a triple to make it a six-point game, 76-70. Navarro hit free throws to put the victory on ice, as even when Granger nailed one from downtown, it happen to be too little, too late for the guests.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Euroleague.net
Referees: VOREADIS, LAZAROS (GRE), LAMONICA, LUIGI (ITA), HERCEG, SINISA (CRO)
Attendance: 4967
By Quarter1234
Winterthur FC Barcelona17202223
Efes Pilsen20102914
End of Quarter1234
Winterthur FC Barcelona17375982
Efes Pilsen20305973
Head coach: IVANOVIC, DUSKO
Winterthur FC Barcelona
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
3FG
M-A
FT
M-A
Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
5 BASILE, GIANLUCA 23:45 9 0/3 3/5     3 3 4             11
8 TRIAS, JORDI 28:45 10 5/5     1 7 8 3 2   2   2 1 24
9 MARCONATO, DENIS 20:00 2 1/2   0/2 2 4 6 2   2 1 1 3 3 5
10 LAKOVIC, JAKA 32:00 15 2/3 3/9 2/2 1 2 3 6 2 4       4 19
11 NAVARRO, JUAN CARLOS 36:15 24 2/9 6/10 2/4 1 2 3 2 1 1       7 23
14 DE LA FUENTE, RODRIGO 10:00                 1       3   -2
17 VAZQUEZ, FRAN 20:00 10 4/5   2/2 1 2 3   1   2     3 18
20 KAKIOUZIS, MICHAILIS 11:15 7 2/3 1/2     2 2     1 1   2   5
21 UKIC, ROKO 8:00   0/2 0/1   1   1 2         1   -1
44 GRIMAU, ROGER 10:00 5 1/2 1/1     3 3     1     3   3
Team             1 1   2 1         2
Totals 200:00 82 17/34 14/28 6/10 7 26 33 19 9 10 6 1 14 18 107
50% 50% 60%
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Head coach: MAHMUTI, OKTAY
Efes Pilsen
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
3FG
M-A
FT
M-A
Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
4 NICHOLAS, DREW 37:00 16 3/6 3/8 1/1   4 4 5   1       6 22
6 AKIN, FIKRET CAN 20:00 6 0/1 2/4     2 2 2 1     1 2   5
8 PRKACIN, NIKOLA 24:00 10 5/6     1 5 6 1   5     5 2 8
10 ABI, MUSTAFA 17:00     0/1                   4   -5
11 ERDEN, CUNEYT 23:00 15 0/1 5/7   2 1 3 2 1 2     4   12
12 GONLUM, KEREM 12:15 2 1/5     1 1 2   2     3   2 1
13 HAISLIP, MARCUS 36:00 18 4/10 1/2 7/8 3 5 8 1   3 1 2 2 4 17
14 HERSEK, BARIS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
17 BAYAV, ENGIN EMRE DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
21 GRANGER, ANTONIO 23:00 6 0/1 2/7   1 2 3               3
23 KUQO, ERMAL 7:45   0/2       2 2   1 3     1   -3
Team           1 2 3   1 1         3
Totals 200:00 73 13/32 13/29 8/9 9 24 33 11 6 15 1 6 18 14 63
40.6% 44.8% 88.9%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

IVANOVIC, DUSKO
Winterthur FC Barcelona
"Their backcourt players, especially Cuneyt Erden, scored a lot of points and most of them came due to our defensive mistakes. It is very positive for us that we always had faith on winning the game despite all these problems. We also improved our defense in the fourth quarter, in the most decisive moment. The team has improved in the last two months and it has reached an acceptable level. We still have to improve. Fran Vazquez made us worry, but I am sure he will get well soon."
MAHMUTI, OKTAY
Efes Pilsen
"It has been a tough game, as we all expected. The final nine-point difference doesn'r reflect what the game was. We tried to do everything we could, even when we are facing some injury problems and that was shown on coirt. We played against out of the best teams in Europe, and I am sure it was a great game for all fans in the stands. Of course, I want to congratulate Barcelona and I don't want to give them less credit that the one they deserve. We missed easy shots down the stretch and Barcelona didn't. That made the difference."

Players

NAVARRO, JUAN CARLOS
Winterthur FC Barcelona
"Our team has shown that is not afraid of anybody and that has a lot of character. This win will give us some extra confidence for the next games. Our first goal in the Top 16 was winning our home games and so far we got to wins here against Prokom and Efes. We will visit both teams on the road now with the intention to get more wins, even when we only think about Prokom, as it is our next game. We didn't have much trouble to beat them in here but I am sure things will be different in Sopot. We know it will be very hard to beat Panathinaikos but will step on court with the only goal of winning the game."
KUQO, ERMAL
Efes Pilsen
"Our defense was not up to the level that we need to beat Barcelona. It is something that happen to be decisive, as we allowed (Jaka) Lakovic and (Juan Carlos) Navarro to take too many easy shots, especially in the second half. We had a very good third quarter in which we scored easily, but we didn't finish our job and sometimes the will to win is not enough. I haven't played well lately, in the last 2-3 weeks I was not up to the level where I am expected to be, but hopefully this will change in the next games to come."
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