With CSKA, Olympiakos, Panathinaikos already in Berlin, the Euroleague’s Final Four awaits the game five winner between F.C. Barcelona and Tau Ceramica.

With the series tied at at two, the two remaining Spanish clubs will do battle Thursday to determine which team will advance to the Final Four being held in Berlin. The game will be played at 20:45 CET (discuss the game).

In Barcelona’s two wins,  they have truly dominated Tau Cermica, defeating them by 23 points in the second game (85-62), and by 21 points in the fourth game (84-63).  Barcelona has home-court advantage for game five, will playing in the Palau Blaugrana help the home team?  It hasn’t so far as teams have won one and lost one on their home courts.

Tau Ceramica
Tau Ceramica is led by the Euroleague’s leading scorer Igor Rakocevic 18 points per game, an off shooting night for the Rako (or seven turnovers as he had in game three) can spell trouble for Tau.  American player Pete Mickael (9.8 points and 7.5 rebounds) has been solid, and Tiago Splitter of Brazil (9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds) is providing interior offense and defense for Tau.

Tau also boasts one of Europe’s top lead guards in Argentinian Pablo Prigioni (4.8 assists). They are supported by forward/center Will McDonald, and coached by Dusko Ivanovic.

Regal F.C. Barcelona
Barcelona is led by their backcourt; former NBA player, Juan Carlos Navarro (14 ppg) and Slovenian point guard Jaka Lakovic, whom leads the team in scoring during the Playoffs with 14.5 points.

The problem is the two guards are only shooting a combined 38.2% from the field, and whether or not Navarro has fully-recovered from a right leg injury that forced him to miss game three is not fully known., and

Turkish player, and former NBA player Ersan Ilyasova leads Regal with 8.3 rebounds in this years playoffs.  Behind Navarro and Lakovic, Ilyasova is also the third leading scorer on the team with 10.3 points.

Spanish big man Fran Vazquez has played the second most minutes on the team (after Lakovic) and has produced 10 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks as well as being extremely efficient offensively; shooting 75% from the field.

With Gianluca Basile and Roger Grimau, Barcelona certainly has a more balanced attack with six players averaging at least 8 points a game.

Road to Berlin
By sweeping Parizan Belgrade 3-0, defending champions CKSA Moscow was the first team to make it to Berlin.

Greek clubs Olympiakos and Panathinaikos would follow the next day by completing their respective series 3-1 against Real Madrid and Montepaschi Siena.  Once the remaining spot is determined, Final Four play is scheduled to begin play on May 1st, 2009.

Links and Resources: FC Barcelona – TAU Ceramica: Euroleague playoff quarter-finals Game Five (Interbasket), Regal Barcelona vs. Tau Ceramica Euroleague Preview and Quotes (Euroleague.net), ULEB Game 4: Barcelona blows out Tau Ceramica (Interbasket)