BC Budivelnik Kiev took a critical step towards reaching the Eurocup Last 16 in group A by topping CEZ Basketball Nymburk 72-62 in the Ukrainian capital on Wednesday. Nymburk and Budivelnik tie for first place in Group A, each with a 3-2 record, with Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem and BC Prienai right behind each at 2-3. Malcolm Delaney paced the winners with 28 points on 12-of-13 free throws. Rado Rancik led Nymburk with 17 points while Mike Taylor added 13. Rancik added 10 rebounds for a double-double. A three-pointer by Rancik tied the game, 15-15, late in the first quarter. Delaney led an 18-0 run that put Budivelnik ahead for good, 33-15. Budivelnik boosted its margin to 48-24 on a put-back basket by Kostiantyn Anikiienko right after the break. Rancik and Miljan Pavkovic allowed Nymburk to bring their team within 68-60 already in the final minute but Delaney stepped up in crunch time to make Budivelnik add its third home win.

Leo Lyons got Budivelnik going with a layup and even when Drew Naymick answered with a jumper, Delaney soon gave the hosts a 7-2 lead. Jiri Welsch stepped up with a jumper, igniting a 0-6 run that Taylor capped with a mid-range shot to give Nymburk get its first lead, 7-8. Georgi Tsintsadze sank a jumper and Delaney stayed on fire with a put-back basket but free throws by Naymick kept the guests within 11-10. Tsintsadze buried another shot, Radek Necas and Dainius Salenga traded jumper and a three-pointer by Rancik tied it at 15-15. Michailis Anisimov and Delaney put Budivelnik back ahead, 18-15, after 10 minutes. Frank Robinson hit free throws early in the second quarter and Anisimov added a three-point play for a 23-15 Budivelnik lead. Nymburk called timeout but Delaney and Robinson boosted the hosts' margin to double digits, 27-15. Nynburk could not find the way to the basket and a three-point play by Delaney capped a 18-0 run that broke the game open, 33-15. Pavel Houska tried to change things with a jumper that Lyons erased with a layup. Taylor hit free throws but he didn't find much help around. Meanwhile, Tsintsadze and Igor Krivtsov boosted the hosts' lead to 39-20. Houska made free throws and Welsch nailed a jumper but Krivtsov and Delaney kept Budivelnik way ahead, 43-24, at halftime.

Artur Drozdov struck from downtown immediately after the break and a put-back basket by Anikiienko boosted Budivelnik's lead to 48-24. Naymick tried to ignite Nymburk's comeback with consecutive baskets and even when Anisimov scored down low, three-pointers by Taylor and Pavkovic gave the guests some hope at 50-34. Tsintsadze hit a jumper and free throws by Lyons kept the hosts out of trouble at 55-36. Anisimov scored again but Pavkovic and Rancik made free throws and a Necas added a layup for a 58-42 Nymburk deficit after 30 minutes. Salenga buried a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter but Rancik quickly answered from downtown. Delaney scored around the basket but free throws by Vojtech Hruban ignited an 0-8 run in which Taylor had 4 points to bring Nymburk as close as 63-53 with 3 minutes to go. Both teams kept fighting for points differential, as Nymburk downed Budivelnik by 13 in the Czech Republic. Delaney struck from downtown and soon added free throws but Rancik took over with 7 key points in crunch time to keep Nymburk within 68-60. Delaney hit 4-of-4 free throws in the final 35 seconds to keep Budivelnik out of trouble until the final buzzer.