May 25, 2012
Sportingbet MVP for April: Juan Carlos Navarro, Regal FC Barcelona
Juan Carlos Navarro - Regal FC BarcelonaSportingbet MVP of the MonthWhen a home loss in the Playoffs threatened to undo his team's otherwise excellent Euroleague season, one of modern basketball's most successful players was the difference-maker once again. Juan Carlos Navarro, the Euroleague's choice as Sportingbet MVP for April, proved unstoppable while leading Regal FC Barcelona to back-to-back road victories and a return to the Final Four. In Game 3 and Game 4 of the playoffs, playing each night before 13,500 fans of archrival Real Madrid, Navarro calmly posted his highest point totals of the Euroleague season, outscoring everyone on either team. What's more, he did so with remarkable shooting accuracy. Navarro shot as close to perfect as anyone could imagine in a playoffs setting, needing just 25 field goal attempts and 7 free throws to average 22.5 points over the two games despite playing just 27 minutes in each. He did more than score, too, posting his season highs for rebounds in one game and for steals in the other. Most importantly, Navarro kept Barcelona in control enough during two pressure-packed road games to win both and clinch a ticket to Paris for the 2010 Final Four. All of which made Juan Carlos Navarro an easy choice as Sportingbet MVP for April.

The Sportingbet MVP of the Month honor is in its sixth season. Although statistics and performance ratings are taken into consideration for the award, they alone do not determine who is honored. The winner is named by Euroleague Basketball based on his and his team's performance. The award for Apirl was decided considering the last two Playoffs games, on March 31 and April 1, played by eight teams. Sportingbet, a Euroleague Basketball partner, is this season's sponsor of the MVP of the Month award. Just as the best Euroleague player each month combines performance and leadership for success, so does Sportingbet's sponsorship communicate its conviction to be the best betting brand in European basketball.

Juan Carlos Navarro - Regal FC BarcelonaOne of the classic matchups in sports history, Barcelona vs. Real Madrid generated intense global interest as soon as their best-of-five series to reach the Final Four was known. That interest increased after Madrid won Game 2 in Barcelona, swinging the homecourt advantage in its favor. A jam-packed Vistalegre Palace in the Spanish capital waited to witness Barcelona's downfall, but instead saw a re-born Navarro, who had been largely silent in the first two games. To start Game 3, he scored Barcelona's opening pair of layups and its first three-pointer, after which the visitors led the rest of the game. Navarro's shooting display at the final buzzer read: 4 of 7 two-pointers, 4 of 6 three-pointers and 4 of 4 free throws made for 24 points. His 4 rebounds equaled Madrid's best in that department, too. When his 2 assists, a steal and 8 fouls drawn were added, Navarro had a 29 performance index rating, best in the Euroleague that night, while Barcelona cruised to a 73-84 victory. Just 38 hours later, in Game 4, the season was on the line for Madrid, which fought Barcelona basket for basket into the final quarter. That's when Navarro's fourth three-pointer of the night fell in the middle of a 0-7 run that was the difference for the visitors. Barcelona held on to win 78-84 and reach its second consecutive Final Four. Navarro finished with a game-high 21 points after making 4 of 4 two-pointers and 4 of 8 three-pointers to go along with 3 assists and 3 steals for an index rating of 24. At the end of the two games, he had made 73% of his two-point shots and 57% of his three-pointers in a series where all the other players shot 56% and 36%, respectively.

Although his numbers were remarkable, Navarro's leadership was just as important, if more difficult to measure. Perhaps the most telling fact of his 72 hours in Madrid was this: Barcelona never trailed after the 13th minute in either game, and in the only instance of a tie score after that time, Navarro scored immediately to put Barcelona back in front to stay. Last year's Euroleague MVP molded his game to team needs through much of this season, but Navarro clearly saved his best for the moment he was needed most by Barcelona. His shining back-to-back performances at the end of the playoffs punctuated Barcelona’s great season by reaching the destination Navarro and his teammates expected, Paris, where he will receive his Sportingbet April MVP trophy.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Euroleague.net
PrintPrint Send to a FriendSend to a Friend ShareShare

Special Features

Interviews
Vassilis Spanoulis , Olympiacos Piraeus
Vassilis Spanoulis - Olympiacos Piraeus
Six months ago, fans outside of Greece would have recognized few of the Olympiacos players who were not named... MORE
Interviews
Kostas Papanikolaou , Olympiacos Piraeus
Kostas Papanikolaou - Olympiacos
Small forward Kostas Papanikolaou is a central piece of the young core of players that has led Olympiacos Piraeus... MORE
Interviews
Dusan Ivkovic , Olympiacos Piraeus
Dusan Ivkovic
Once again this season, Dusan Ivkovic showed why he is a living legend among basketball coaches by guiding... MORE

Submenu