Quarterfinals Games 1-2 MVP goes to Navarro
Juan Carlos Navarro - Winterthur FCB Juan Carlos Navarro was in rare form on Thursday, needing just 18 minutes on the floor to lead his team to a series-tying victory and to wrap up MVP honors for the week's Quarterfinal Playoffs games. In two games against Unicaja, during which Navarro averaged less than 24 minutes per night, Navarro displayed all of his scoring skills by averaging 20 points on 70% two-point and 60% three-point shooting. He was also good for 1.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 7 fouls drawn per game for an index average over both games of of 23. Nikola Vujcic had the week's second-best two-game performance, with an average index rating of 20 against CSKA. Vujcic averaged 12.5 points on 50% shooting from downtown, 9 rebounds and 2 assists against the reigning Euroleague champion. Luis Scola and Igor Rakocevic of Tau Ceramica helped their team advance to the Final Four with a 19.5 index averages each. Scola averaged 14 points and 9.5 rebounds, while Rakocevic had averages of 20.5 points on 8-of-13 three-point shooting and 11-of-11 from the free-throw line. Ramunas Siskauskas of Panathinaikos (18.5 index average), who helped left Panathinaikos to the Final Four by averaging 17.5 points and making 7 of 8 three-pointers over the two games, completed the top individual performances for the week.

Individual highs: Theo Papaloukas of CSKA Moscow first to 500 career assists

Theodoros Papaloukas - CSKA MoscowRakocevic was the top scorer of the week with his 20.5 points in two games against Olympiacos, while Navarro had the best individual scoring performance with 25 in Game 2 against Unicaja. Fittingly, the two are the only ones left with a realistic chance to win the Alphonso Ford Top Scorer trophy, which goes to the best scorer by average who has played a minimum of 12 games during the regular season, Top 16 and Playoffs. Navarro is currently on top with 17.1 points per game with Rakocevic (16.8 ppg.) second. Since Tau has advanced, Rakocevic has already played all his games to qualify for the award, while Navarro has one game pending against Unicaja next week to decide their playoff series. If Navarro scores 11 points or more, he will win the scoring title. Otherwise it will be Rakocevic – unless Vujcic of Maccabi happens to break the Euroleague scoring mark with at least 52 points against CSKA. Luis Scola led all rebounders with 9.5 boards in two games against Olympiacos. Scola ranks 14th in rebounds this season (5.9 rpg.), far behind the leader Vujcic (7.8 rpg.). Theo Papaloukas of CSKA led the week in assists by dishing 11 in two games against Maccabi. His three in Game 2 in Tel Aviv made him the first player in Euroleague history to post 500 assists. Papaloukas, who now has 501 assists in 130 career games, is also the season leader with 5.1 per game. Four players – Zoran Planinic and Pablo Prigioni of Tau and Scoonie Penn and Alex Acker of Olympiacos – each averaged 2.5 steals this week. Ricky Rubio of DKV Joventut is virtually the steals champion (3.19 spg.) – at age 16. Nine different players averaged one block per game this week, helping Marcus Haislip of Efes Pilsen edge closer to finishing first in the blocks standings (1.75 bpg.).
Friday, April 06, 2007
Euroleague.net
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