Dorados beat Diablos Rojos 86-70 in the LNBP on Friday night in Mexico. The home side held their nerve to claim a convincing victory over visitors who had been gaining momentum of their own.
It was a straightforward affair from the opening whistle. Dorados got over the line with authority, ending a run that Diablos Rojos had built through their recent results. The visitors had beaten Panthers 91-88 before losing 80-91, so this was a chance to steady the ship.
And here's the thing — the statistics tell a story about control. Dorados shot 28 field goals from 63 attempts while Diablos Rojos managed 25 from 70. The visitors were out-rebounded 33-39 and committed 17 turnovers to Dorados's 10. That kind of inefficiency is hard to overcome.
To be fair, Diablos Rojos made more three-pointers at the rim — seven from 30 attempts compared to eight from 23 for the hosts. But free throws told a different tale. Dorados converted 22 from 33 while the visitors managed only 11 from 15. Those extra points mattered in a game decided by 16 points.
The result matters more than the numbers. Dorados have now beaten Diablos Rojos twice in recent memory — 83-89 and 65-81 losses before this. They switched to a more disciplined approach and found a way through. The table goes out of the window in these games, and tonight the home side made their presence felt.