Valachniki Decin edged past Sokol Prague 97 to 90 in the 1st League on Thursday evening, keeping their search for a second-place finish alive. The home side relied on their recent rhythm to close out a game that never quite settled into a comfortable rhythm. To be fair, Sokol had shown enough in their last few outings to suggest they would not fold quietly.
The visitors came in looking to climb out of the lower half, nine points adrift of the play-off places with three rounds remaining. They had picked up a win against ЦСКА Академия in September and pushed Sлавия Прага Тигры close earlier that month. By then, the gap between them and the top half felt narrower than the table suggested.
Valachniki Decin brought a different kind of pressure. They had won four of their last five, including a 79 to 71 victory over Sлавия Прага Тигры and a tight 68 to 64 win against Йиндрихув-Градец. The loss at Злин in April still lingered, but the run since September had been steady. And here's the thing — they had called this one right. Our prediction of a home win at 69 per cent confidence had been vindicated, not by a blowout, but by a game decided in the final moments when the visitors ran out of answers.
The scoreline tells you little about the shape of the contest. Sokol Prague 97 kept the ball moving and did not let the hosts pull away early. Valachniki Decin responded when it mattered, switching to a more aggressive defence in the closing quarters. The away side were overrun in midfield near the end, unable to find the passing lanes that had served them well in September.
Both sides have now played 18 matches, and the standings remain unchanged. Valachniki Decin sit on 13 wins from 18, still chasing the leaders. Sokol Prague 97 move to 12 losses, their record not improving despite the fight. The table goes out of the window in these games, but the gap between the two sides has not closed.
