Barcelona improves to 10-0 on Navarro’s special night

FC Barcelona locked up home-court advantage for the Turkish Airlines Euroleague playoffs by downing two-time defending champions Olympiacos Piraeus 70-58 at Palau Blaugrana in Top 16 Group E on Friday. Barcelona improved to 10-0, registered its 22nd consecutive Top 16 win and its 30th straight Top 16 home triumph - both all-time Euroleague records. Olympiacos dropped to 4-7 and is in a four-game losing streak. It was a special night for Juan Carlos Navarro, who became the all-time Euroleague leader in games played (253, surpassing Theo Papaloukas, who attended the game) and minutes played (6,564, beating J.R. Holden). Brad Oleson paced the winners with 15 points off the bench, Ante Tomic tallied 14 points and 11 rebounds and Erazem Lorbek finished with 13 points for the winners. Bryant Dunston paced the Reds with 18 points and Brent Petway scored 17. In a small ceremony before the game. Euroleague Basketball Competitions Director Diego Guillen, FC Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu and Euroleague Basketball legend Theodoros Papaloukas – the previous holder of the record with his 252 games played – honored Navarro by awarding him several gifts to a standing ovation of his fans on the stands. Aside from the gifts, a video was played on the Balugrana screens with several of Navarro's colleagues and friends congratulating him on his achievement. Barcelona trailed 38-39 early in the second half but Lorbek and Oleson led the hosts to a 55-44 advantage through three quarters. Barca boosted its margin to 65-49 and never looked back.