ESP – Navarro takes center stage

BARCELONA (Euroleague) – Spain guard Juan Carlos Navarro returned to Barcelona this season after a successful one-year spell in the NBA and has been reminding everyone that he’s among the best players in Europe ever since.

On Thursday night in Barcelona, Navarro will take center stage when his team goes up against Tau Ceramica with a place in the Euroleague Final Four at stake.

Navarro missed Game 3 after picking up a muscular injury in training but returned to action in Vitoria where Barca upset the defending ACB champions.

He had 11 points and four assists in the triumph.

Barcelona coach Xavier Pascual is confident his players can win and set up a Final Four clash with CSKA Moscow.

“In the mental factor, I think that we have gone from less to more and I think we have been a little better every game,” Pascual said.

“After one week with no games in the series, everyone feels like this is a final so we just need concentration and to remain calm for 40 minutes."

Victor Sada, one of the Barcelona point guards, also looked ahead to the game.

“It has been a very level series and we believe home-court advantage will be key,” he said.

“However, we can't think that just because of that we will win. We must do things well, just as we did in the last game in Vitoria. We need to be very focused and if we are, I'm sure we will succeed."

Tau, this season’s Copa del Rey winners, will not have Stanko Barac after the Croatia international center broke his foot.

Panathinaikos and Olympiacos will go up against each other in the other Semi-Final when the Final Four is staged in Berlin.

FIBA