Atomerőmű Paks — NKA Pécs: 102:77, NB I A

Atomérmy Paks saw off NKA Pécs 102:77 in the Hungarian Basketball Championship on Friday evening. The home side held fourth place after twenty-six games, while Pécs sat tenth with the same number of matches played. It was a straightforward result, though the margin told its own story.

And here's the thing — the hosts had been uneven of late. They'd dropped points in three of their last five outings, including two losses to Kaposvár. Pécs were no better, losing four of their final five, though one of those was a narrow defeat to Szedeák. By then you could sense the gap between them.

Our forecast called for a home win at 68 per cent confidence, and that held true. Paks didn't so much dominate as simply outlast Pécs through the four quarters. The visitors never really found a rhythm, while the hosts took their chances when they came.

What struck me watching was how Pécs struggled to answer when Paks pushed the tempo. They held a high line defensively but it broke down too often. The hosts didn't need to score in bursts — they just kept the ball moving and waited for mistakes.

The result leaves Paks fourteenth on twenty-six points, while Pécs remain tenth with twenty points. They meet again next season, though this one is settled.