ESP – Barcelona’s Lakovic lords it over Murcia

MURCIA (ACB) – Jaka Lakovic fell short of his dream of playing at the Beijing Games with Slovenia but he is putting that disappointment behind him with some solid displays for Spanish giants Regal Barcelona.

The playmaker scored 18 points to lead Barca to a 78-58 win at CB Murcia on Wednesday – the Catalans’ second victory in four days at the start of the ACB campaign.

Lakovic and Slovenia played at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July but were beaten in the knockout stage by Puerto Rico.

The playmaker was three of five from three-point range, and he was supported in the points department by former Spain internationals Fran Vazquez (16) and Roger Grimau (13).

Barcelona will be even better once Juan Carlos Navarro is fit and able to play. Navarro, a silver-medal winner with Spain in Beijing, decided in the summer to return to Spain after one season in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies.

DKV Joventut discovered on Tuesday they would not have 17-year-old point guard sensation Ricky Rubio for several weeks while he recovers from wrist surgery, but they managed to scrape an 83-81 triumph over Estudiantes.

Estu lost for the second straight game, despite their 2004 Olympian Iker Iturbe drilling six of eight shots from three-point range on his way to 20 points.

Demond Mallet had 20 points for DKV, who were helped inside by British international Pops Mensah-Bonsu. He scored nine and pulled down seven rebounds.

Pamesa Valencia are 2-0 after prevailing 81-75 at home over Fuenlabrada.

CAI Zaragoza bounced back from their defeat to Pamesa by winning at Kalise Gran Canaria 76-68. Argentina guard Paolo Monteros continued his hot start to the campaign. The Olympic bronze-medal winner had 17 points to lead Zaragoza.

Joel Freeland, the Great Britain international, played well for Gran Canaria by scoring 10 points and pulling down five boards while Senegal international Sitapha Savane scored five and grabbed five rebounds.

Iurbentia Bilbao won 74-62 over Vivemenorca in front of 5,000 fans in the Basque country.

Lithuania sharpshooter Renaldas Seibutis, the 23-year-old shooting guard, and Javier Salgado each scored 18 for Bilbao.

FIBA