CSKA Surges Past Nymburk In 4th

CSKA defeated Nymburk at home, 97-86, in Game 1 of the playoff quarterfinals. Eight seed Nymburk gave Dimitris Itoudis & Co. a big scare in the first game of the postseason, trailing by only a point with five minutes to play. But CSKA found an extra gear in the final minutes, scoring on six consecutive possessions to go up by double digits. Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday, May 1 in Moscow.

Intro
The 2016 playoffs tipped off in Moscow with a matchup between the league's top regular-season team (CSKA) and the eight seed (Nymburk). The visitors showed no fear in the opening minutes, jumping out to a 12-4 lead thanks to Howard Sant-Roos's eight points. Dimitris Itoudis was forced to call a timeout, but CSKA's offense continued to struggle until Cory Higgins entered the game. The American poured in 11 points off the bench in the opening period, including a buzzer-beater to give the Army Men a 26-25 advantage.

But CSKA failed to take control of the game. Nymburk matched the home team's tempo, helped out by an effective zone and Michael Dixon's hot shooting. At halftime, CSKA held a slender 49-46 lead.

The Russian club beat Nymburk by an average of 35.5 points during two regular-season meetings. But the Czechs made it clear in the 3rd quarter that things would be different on Friday. Efficient on offense, Nymburk's biggest struggle came on the defensive end. CSKA repeatedly got the line by driving the paint and made it a six-point game after three periods.

Turning Point
The game stayed close until midway through the 4th quarter when the Czechs finally ran out steam. The offense dried up and Kyle Hines and Nando De Colo took advantage of two defensive mistakes to score easy layups. Milos Teodosic added a 3-pointer (the Army Men were 4-21 on the night) to push the lead to double digits for the first time in the game. The Red-Blues would not surrender the lead down the stretch. Nymburk makes it close in Moscow, but ultimately falls short (95-87). CSKA takes a 1-0 series lead.

Star Player
Nando De Colo. The CSKA point guard set a new postseason record for steals, forcing six Nymburk turnovers to go with 20 points and eight assists. He saved his best for last, dishing out three assists, scoring six points, and snagging two steals to lead his team to a win.

Stat of the Game
35 - CSKA went 35-39 from the charity stripe, knocking down the 2nd-most free throws in playoff history.

Snapshot