Simmons, Benda team up to lead CEZ Nymburk to Last 32

CEZ Basketball Nymburk forced overtime in the closing seconds and then pulled away in the extra session for a 91-82 victory Baloncesto Seville that gave it a place in the Last 32. Tre Simmons took charge in money time for the hosts with 15 points and 7 assists in the fourth quarter and overtime. He assisted to Petr Benda on the basket that forced overtime and again on the first basket of overtime before draining a triple as Nymburk pulled away. The result lifted Nymburk to 5-5, while dropping Seville, which had previously qualified for the Last 32, to the same record. Seville will finish the regular season in fourth place, while Nymburk will be second if SLUC Nancy loses its regular season finale against Proximus Spirou Charleroi and third if Nancy wins. Simmons finished the game with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists. Christian Burns led Nymburk with 19 points, Benda added 16 points and 7 rebounds and Jiri Welsch and Lubos Barton each scored 10. Ondrej Balvin stood out for Seville with 13 points, 19 rebounds and 4 blocks; his rebounding total was the third-most in a Eurocup game and the most in over a decade. Xavier Thames led all Seville scorers with 17 points, Pierre Oriola scored 12 and Diego Gallardo 11. Nymburk used a 9-0 run to finish the first quarter with a 19-15 lead and held on through halftime, with Seville keeping close and trailing 32-30 at halftime. Seville jumped in front in the third quarter and led by as many as 9. Nymburk rallied back to make it close in the final minutes of regulation, allowing Benda to tie it in the closing seconds. The hosts started the overtime period on a 10-1 run and stormed to victory and the Last 32.

Seville scored first through Guillermo Hernangomez and although the hosts matched basket for basket, a three-point play for Oriola and a three-pointer by Alex Urtasun pushed the visitors ahead. Burns added a basket-plus-foul, but an Oriola triple made it 7-11 and a pair of buckets from Hernangomez extended the difference to 10-15 midway through the quarter. Nymburk awoke as Benda scored twice and Pavel Houska drilled a three in a 9-0 run to finish the quarter with a 19-15 advantage. Derrick Byars ended a six-minute scoring drought for Seville and Thames narrowed the gap to 23-22 with a three-point play. Welsch scored on consecutive possessions to keep Nymburk on top. Kristaps Porzingis answered with a three to get within 27-25. Nymburk strengthened its defense after that, kept the visitors scoreless for four minutes and extended the lead to 7, but Byars hit a jumper and Thames a three to make it 32-30 at the break.

Burns scored the first two baskets of the second half, but Seville stayed close thanks to threes from Nikola Radicevic and Thames. A Porzingis jumper gave Seville its first lead since the first half since at 41-42. Balvin dunked on the offensive glass to put the visitors up 3, but Houska responded from downtown to tie the game at 44-44. Thames free throws put Seville ahead and a Radicevic triple made it 45-51. Gallardo scored 5 straight points as Sevilla grabbed a 9-point lead. Lubos Barton’s triple kept Nymburk within 50-56 through three quarters. Barton’s second three followed by a Simmons jumper rallied the hosts within 57-58. Gallardo and Simmons traded threes as the team’s stayed close at 65-66 with four minutes remaining. Burns tied it with a three-point play, but a Thames triple put Seville back in front, 68-71. After Benda put Nymburk ahead, Balvin split free throws to tie the game at 72-72. Balvin put Seville up by 2 with a tip in, however Simmons found a cutting Benda in the closing seconds for a layup to tie the game at 76-76 and force overtime.

Simmons fed Benda again for the first basket of the extra session before sinking a three of his own. After Gallardo split free throws, Simmons connected again from downtown and Benda scored in the break to make it 86-77 after a 10-1 run. Seville used a timeout to regroup and Balvin scored from the line, but a Barton triple kept Nymburk in charge and the hosts ran the clock down on the ensuing possessions to wrap up the victory.