CEZ Basketball Nymburk stayed in the race to reach the Last 32 in Group A by thrashing Telenet Ostend 73-51 in Prague, the Czech Republic on Wednesday. Nymburk improved to 3-3 in Group A while Ostend dropped to 4-2. Nymburk lost 90-83 in Ostend, so it would have the tie-break advantage if both teams tie at the end of this round. Rasid Mahalbasic paced the winners with 15 points. Tre Simmons added 13 while Dylan Page had 12 for Nymburk. Mateusz Ponitka led Ostend with 18 points while Andrija Stipanovic added 12. A 10-0 run allowed Nymburk to overcome a slow start and get a 20-15 lead after 10 minutes. Nymburk improved its margin to 36-29 at halftime and used a 12-1 run to take off, 48-32, right after the break. Ostend never rallied, as Mahalbasic and an unstoppable Simmons allowed the hosts to keep a safe lead all the way until the final buzzer.

Ponitka shined early and a layup by Quentin Serron gave Ostend a 2-7 lead. Jiri Welsch stepped up with a jumper and consecutive three-pointers by Page gave Nymburk its first lead, 10-9. Serron kept pacing Ostend but Pavel Houska and Vlado Ilievski fueled a 10-0 run that gave the hosts a 20-13 lead. Free throws by Dusan Djordjevic brought Ostend within 20-15 after 10 minutes. Rado Rancik struck from downtown early in the second quarter. Ponitka tried to change things for the guests but he didn't find help around. Meanwhile, a layup by Welsch made it a nine-point game, 28-19. Serron and Stipanovic got Ostend within 32-27 but Ilievski and Vojtech Hruban boosted Nymburk's margin to 36-29 at halftime. Stipanovic scored right after the break but Page, Welsch and Mahalbasic fueled a 12-1 run which broke the game open, 48-32, midway through the third quarter. Djordjevic made free throws but Nymburk kept excelling at both ends. A jumper by Hruban and a layup by Simmons made it an 18-point game, 52-34, at the end of the third quarter. Jean Salumu hit a jumper and Ponitka downed a three-pointer but a red hot Simmons kept Nymburk way ahead, 59-39. Ponitka and Stipanovic kept trying to change things for Ostend but it was already too little, too late for the guests. A dunk by Mahalbasic and a triple by Simmons gave Nymburk fans plenty of time to celebrate an important home win.