NBL Preview: Sokol Pisek at USK Praha

PRAGUE (Interstat) — Sokol Pisek travels to Hala Folimanka on Thursday, April 23, 2026, to face USK Praha in a Czech NBL matchup that carries divergent stakes for the two clubs. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. local time.

Sokol Pisek (19-18) arrives having won two of its last three games, including a 78-65 home victory over these same USK Praha Spartans just two days earlier on Tuesday, April 21. That result extended Pisek’s recent dominance in the head-to-head series, having won all three meetings this season by an average margin of 13.3 points. The visitors defeated USK Praha 95-79 on Dec. 14, 2025, and 103-92 on Oct. 11, 2025.

Pisek’s offense has been potent in the series, scoring at least 78 points in each contest. The team is coming off a narrow 100-95 loss at JIP Pardubice on April 18, a game in which guard Vojtech Sykora posted a near triple-double with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 12 assists in 30 minutes. Sykora, a player to watch, has been a consistent facilitator; he also recorded 9 assists in a 91-76 win over Decin on April 5 and tallied 15 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists in a 104-81 rout of Nova Hut Ostrava on March 29. His playmaking will be critical against a USK Praha defense that has allowed 95 or more points in four of its last six losses.

USK Praha (12-22) enters on a four-game losing streak, its most recent defeat being Tuesday’s 78-65 setback in Pisek. The Spartans have struggled to find consistency, dropping 8 of their last 10 contests. In that April 11 loss to SK Slavia Praha, guard Petr Safarcik scored a team-high 22 points on 31 minutes, but the team fell 81-76. Safarcik also posted 13 points in a 95-65 loss at Ariete Prostejov on April 4 and 8 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists in a 97-69 defeat at GAPA Hradec on March 28. He will need support from a roster that has been outscored by an average of 14.2 points during the losing streak.

Thursday’s game marks the fourth and final regular-season meeting between the two sides. Sokol Pisek seeks to solidify its position above .500, while USK Praha aims to snap a skid that has dropped it to 12th in the league standings.