San José opened their campaign with a statement, beating Deportivo Amambay 90:71 in the LNB on Monday evening. The hosts moved further clear at the top of the table, while the visitors' struggles continued. It was a result that felt inevitable given the gulf between them.
And here's the thing about this match — San José controlled the glass from the first whistle. They pulled down 40 rebounds to their opponents' 27, with 32 of those coming on the defensive end. That kind of dominance on the boards means your opponent rarely gets a second chance to score.
To be fair, Deportivo Amambay tried to keep things interesting from distance. Both sides hit 7 three-pointers, but San José's overall efficiency told the story. They shot 34 of 62 from the field compared to Amambay's 26 of 67. You cannot win shooting 38 per cent from the floor.
The assist numbers painted a similar picture. San José moved the ball 28 times in total, while their visitors managed 17. That difference in ball movement is often what separates the good from the great — and right now, San José are clearly in the former category.
By then, the hosts had already built a cushion that would prove insurmountable. Their recent form has been nothing short of sensational — five victories in a row, including that 113:75 demolition of Deportivo Campalto just five days earlier. This was business as usual for a side that has lost only once all season.
Deportivo Amambay, meanwhile, arrive at this fixture fifth in the standings with six wins and eight defeats. They had won three of their previous five before this defeat, but the loss to Olimpia Kings and the setback against Coloniares Gold suggested something was unraveling. This result confirms it.
The statistics will always tell the tale, but sometimes you need to see it to believe it. San José's 19-point margin was never in doubt after the opening exchanges. They pressed high, they moved the ball, and they punished every mistake.