Maccabi Haifa holds on to 80-75 win against Nymburk

Maccabi Haifa Bazan sent a message that echoed all around the Eurocup by downing CEZ Basketball Nymburk 80-75 at home in Group K on Wednesday. Dagan Yivzori paced the winners with 17 points. Donta Smith added 15, David Cubillan had 14, Ben Reis got 11 while Ike Ofoegbu contributed 10 for Haifa. Smith added 8 rebounds and 9 assists. Tre Simmons led Nymburk with 23 points. Rasid Mahalbasic added 16 while Dylan Page got 10 for the guests. Reis and Ido Kozikaro fueled a 9-0 run which allowed Haifa to get an early 14-7 lead. Mahalbasic and Simmons stepped up to bring Nymburk a bit closer, 21-16, after 10 minutes. Three-pointers by Cubillan, Yivzori and Reis boosted the hosts' lead to 35-24. Simmons, Mahalbasic and Page brought the guests back to life, 47-44, at halftime. Cubillan struck three times from downtown to give Haifa its biggest lead, 62-51. It didn't last long, however, as Rado Rancik and an outstanding Simmons brought Nymburk within 65-63 after 30 minutes. It all came down to the final minute, as a layup by Vlado Ilievski made it a three-point game, 78-75. Haifa excelled on defense in the final minute and Smith sealed the outcome from the foul line.

Ilievski got Nymburk going with a jumper that Smith bettered with a three-point play. Mahalbasic made free throws and Vojtech Hruban bettered Brian Randle's dunk with a triple, good for a 5-7 Nymburk lead. It didn't last long, as Reis and Kozikaro combined for all points in a 9-0 run that gave Haifa a 14-7 margin. Mahalbasic scored again and Simmons soon brought Nymburk within 16-14. Another triple by Reis and a layup by Yivzori restored a 21-16 Haifa edge after 10 minutes. Yivzori and Ofoegbu stepped up with consecutive baskets and a three-pointer by Cubillan made it a double-digit game, 29-18. Jiri Welsch and Simmons fueled a 0-6 Nymburk run but Yivzori and Reis nailed back-to-back triples for a 35-24 Haifa edge. Simmons made free throws and a three-point play by Mahalbasic gave Nymburk hope at 37-29. Page struck from downtown and Mahalbasic erased Smith's jumper with a layup for a 39-34 score. Yivzori struck again from downtown but Page and Mahabasic made it a four-point game, 45-41. A layup by Smith and a three-pointer by Simmons fixed the halftime score at 47-44.

Cubillan nailed a triple after the break and Yivzori soon gave Haifa a 52-45 margin. Simmons sank a jumper but another three-pointer by Cubillan and free throws by Kozikaro made the hosts regain a double-digit margin, 57-47. Mahalbasic scored again and Welsch added a put-back basket but Ofoegbu and a red hot Cubillan made it an 11-point game, 62-51. Rancik found his first points but a jumper by Kozikaro kept Haifa way ahead, 65-56. Simmons had 5 points in a 0-7 Nymburk run which brought the guests within 65-63 after 30 minutes. Ofoegbu hit a three-pointer and back-to-back jumpers by Smith and Randle boosted Haifa's lead to 72-63 with over 7 minutes left. Ilievski struck from downtown, Smith split free throws and a jumper by Page brought Nymburk within 73-68. Smith made free throws and a layup by Ofoegbu made it a nine-point game, 77-68, with under 3 minutes to go. Nymburk was not done, however, as Rancik hit a triple, Simmons nailed a jumper and a layup by Ilievski brought the guests within 78-75 already in the final minute. Smith made 2-of-4 free throws in crunch time and Haifa's defense allowed the hosts to grab a big home win down the stretch.