Barca 85-62 Tau

Regal FC Barcelona bounced back from a Game 1 loss in the best-of-five Quarterfinal Playoffs series by downing Tau Ceramica 85-62 in front of a wild sellout crowd at Palau Blaugrana on Thursday night. The series is now tied at 1-1, but Tau hosts Games 3 and 4 in Vitoria next week, with the chance to make it to the Final Four in front of its fans. Barcelona needs to steal a road win to keep its Final Four chances alive. Tau overcame a slow start, as free throws by Igor Rakocevic and Will McDonald gave the guests a 23-24 edge after 10 minutes. Tiago Splitter went to the bench with early foul trouble and Ersan Ilyasova and Roger Grimau helped Barcelona to a 36-29 edge. An outstanding Jaka Lakovic helped Barcelona keep a 46-40 lead at halftime. Splitter picked up his fourth foul early in the fourth quarter and Barcelona opted to power the offensive boards through an unstoppable Ilyasova to make it a double-digit game, 55-45. Barcelona boosted its margin to 60-47 after 30 minutes and managed to keep a safe margin all the way until the final buzzer. Lakovic finished with 17 points to lead the winners, Ilyasova posted 16 points and 10 rebounds, Fran Vazquez had 14 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks and Juan Carlos Navarro scored 14 and dished 6 assists. Rakocevic led Tau with 18 points and Will McDonald added 14 in defeat.

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Barca-Tau, Euroleague

Another poor football offer forced me to try my luck in other sport. This is the only game about what I have any opinion. So, this is the second match, also will be played in Barcelona. Then two in Vitoria and maybe fifth in Barcelona. Three wins are needed for final-four in Berlin 01.05.-03.05.(I'm wondering why there). First game at Palau Blaugrana Tau (un)surprisingly won 84-75. I watched the second half that hosts performed too nervous, simply didn't have the clue. Navarro scored 17 points, while Ersan Ilyasova added 14 points and 12 boards. 

Tau played very aggressive with fast transition and many easy points. The whole game their win wasn't in doubt.  Argentinean Pablo Prigioni stepped up for Tau with 5 triples, 17 points in total. He also handed out 8 assists beside that. Igor Rakocevic scored 15 and William McDonald followed with 12. Visitors have the chance to be just a win away to make it to its fifth(!) straight final four.

I don't believe Barca will loose two tight games on home court. In the group stage they made maybe the strongest impression from all teams. Navarro is highly motivated killer and 17 points is just very bad day, expect from him to wake up and to win tonight's game (c'mon mate!). Another reason for Barca is visitors best player Igor Rakocevic(18.4 points per game, 1 three-pointer away, very often MVP of the round). I remember him from days when he was playing for Crvena Zvezda. He became a much better player since then (of course), but one thing stays the same. Against the outsiders he hits 50 points like a big star, but in the bigest games he doesn't have his day and usually buries his side (something like Riquelme in football). It is a question of mentality and it doesn't change. My bets (small stakes, of course) are: home handicap win (han. is 3.5 at 888), Barca will pass to final four and Barca will the champion (he-he).