ESP - Morris, Navarro help keep Barca on course for fourth trophy

BARCELONA (ACB) - Unicaja Malaga had a dream start but Regal Barcelona came good in the third quarter and pulled away for a 96-82 victory in the opening game of their ACB play-off semi-final.

Juan Carlos Navarro made four three-balls on his way to a game-high 24 points and fellow Spain international Ricky Rubio had eight assists and seven rebounds along with his eight points for the winners.

Unicaja, fresh off their 2-0 upset of Power Electronics Valencia in the first round of the post-season, looked like a team capable of a claiming a stunning road win for much of the contest on Thursday night.

They took a 24-21 lead by the end of the opening quarter and extended that to 48-42 late in the second quarter after back-to-back three-pointers from Berni Rodriguez and Gary Neal.

Still on top 50-46 after a pair of Joel Freeland free-throws early in the third quarter, Malaga lost their grip on the game.

They saw their lead trimmed to 50-49 on Terence Morris' first three-pointer of the night.

Morris’ offensive rebound and put-back then put Barca in front to stay at 51-50.

Navarro followed with the home team's next nine points - all on shots from long range - as they seized a 60-52 lead.

A dunk by Morris late in the quarter gave Barcelona their biggest advantage at 73-56, only for Unicaja to cut the gap to 79-69 by the end of the period on two Zabian Dowdell free-throws.

The closest Unicaja would get in the fourth came midway through the quarter when a Rodriguez three-pointer made it 83-78.

Erazem Lorbek answered with a dunk for Barcelona.

"We played our worst when we were up," said Unicaja coach Aito Garcia Reneses, "but at least we had the lead for most of the game. The pity is that the worst we played was early in the third period …

"Considering all the problems that all the teams in Europe have had against Barca, I am not completely dissatisfied. "

Barcelona have already this season won the Spanish Supercopa, the Copa del Rey and the Euroleague.

Great Britain international Freeland poured in 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Unicaja, with Neal's 19 points a team high.

Dowdell, whose buzzer-beating lay-up gave Unicaja an 83-82 victory in Game 1 of their play-off tie at Valencia, scored 16 points.

Barcelona got great contributions from their two Americans Pete Mickael and Morris with each scoring 21 points.

Morris was unstoppable, in fact.

He was nine of 11 from the floor, including makes on both of his three-pointers.

His second trey came in the closing minutes after Unicaja big man Guillem Rubio's basket had reduced the arrears to 87-80.

Morris also hauled in a game-high nine rebounds.

Barcelona finished eight of 21 from long range while Unicaja were 10 of 26.

Great Britain's Robert Archibald, who missed the Valencia series with a back injury, played just over a minute and missed his only shot for Unicaja.

Saul Blanco missed his third straight play-off game for Unicaja with a calf strain.

FIBA