CEZ Basketball Nymburk became the Group G champion by downing VEF Riga 90-79 in Pardubice, the Czech Republic on Tuesday. Nymburk finished Group G with a 4-2 record and made it to the Last 16 along with Cajasol, that finished second at 3-3 due to its tie-break advantage over Hapoel Jerusalem. Pavel Pumprla paced the winners with 17 points. Ladislav Sokolovsky added 15, Mike Lenzly added 13, Michal Kremen got 12 while Afik Nissim contributed 10 for Nymburk. Kristaps Janicenoks led VEF with 25 points and 6 steals. Derek Williams added 10 for the guests, that led 19-26 late in the first quarter. Lenzly, Kremen and Sokolovsky fueled a game-breaking 19-0 run that allowed Nymburk to get a double-digit halftime lead, 42-31. Nothing changed since that moment, as Nymburk sealed the outcome minutes before the final buzzer and got some hope from Cajasol to finish atop its regular season group.

Pumprla for Nymburk going with a three-point play but Kaspars Berzins answered from downtown for a 3-3 tie. Radek Necas scored in the paint and Vladimir Stimac added free throws but a put-back layup by Art Parakhouski and a jumper by Janicenoks allowed VEF to get its first lead, 7-8. Tre Simmons sank a jumper but free throws by Janicenoks ignited a 0-9 run highlight by Berzins' dunk, enough for VEF to get a 9-17 margin. Ales Chan stepped up with back-to-back baskets but Janicenoks and Williams kept VEF way ahead, 14-22. Chan scored again while Sokolovsky followed an off-balance shot with a triple for a 22-26 Nymburk deficit after 10 minutes. Nymburk improved its defense early in the second quarter and three-pointers by Lenzly, Kremen and Sokolovsky set the crowd on fire, 31-26. VEF went scoreless for more than 6 minutes. Meanwhile, Lenzly made free throws, Nissim added a jumper and Sokolovsky scored again to make it a 12-point game, 38-26, after a 19-0 run. VEF had missed 9 consecutive shots until Parakhouski sank free throws. Williams added a layup-plus-foul but free throws by Nissim and a jumper by Necas gave Nymburk a 42-31 margin at halftime.

Parakhouski scored down low immediately after the break and Gadson added free throws to give VEF some hope at 42-35. Sokolovsky sank foul shots and Pumprla added a layup but Gadson and Janicenoks kept VEF within 46-40. Parakhouski kept pacing the guests with a layup and a jumper by Janicenoks made Nymburk call timeout at 48-44. Nymburk improved its defense right when it mattered while Necas and Nissim fueled a 7-0 run that Pumprla capped with a dunk for a 55-44 lead. Williams stepped up with a layup that Sokolovsky bettered with an acrobatic three-point play. Sandis Valters and Janicenoks kept finding the way to the basket but Kremen followed a jumper with a three-pointer for a 67-55 Nymburk lead after 30 minutes. Janicenoks stayed on fire early in the fourth quarter but a big triple by Lenzly and a layup by Nissim boosted the hosts' lead to 72-57. Bertans and Valters sank consecutive three-pointers and Janicenoks got VEF within 75-65 with over 4 minutes left. Kremen and Lenzly stepped up in crunch time to seal the outcome, 80-67, allowing all Nymburk fans to celebrate a well-deserved, critical win!