Kaposvár saw off Deák 95-90 in the NB I A on Saturday evening, a result that keeps them in third place while Deák remain sixth. The home side managed to close out a game that never quite settled into rhythm, winning by five points after trading baskets throughout.
Three wins from their last five outings had put Kaposvár in decent shape going into this fixture, with victories over KTE-Duna Asfalt and Szolnoki Olajbányász showing they could handle pressure. The 91-90 win away at Szolnoki was particularly telling — another tight finish where they held their nerve.
Deák's recent run told a different story. They had lost three of their last four matches, including heavy defeats to Sopron KC and a narrow loss to Honvéd on their return to action. The 88-93 defeat away to Honvéd was their most recent outing before this one.
And here's the thing — we had backed Kaposvár to win at 66 per cent confidence before kick-off, and that prediction came good. It wasn't a foregone conclusion, but the home side's ability to grind out results in close games justified the confidence.
To be fair, Deák showed enough to make it competitive. They had been inconsistent all season, sitting sixth after 26 games with 15 wins and 11 defeats, but they did not fold when the game tightened.
By then, Kaposvár had built enough of a cushion to survive whatever Deák threw at them. The visitors had won 15 of their 26 matches this season, so they are not a side to write off, but they could not find the extra gear when it mattered.
The result means Kaposvár stay within touching distance of the teams above them, while Deák's hopes of pushing into the top four take another knock. Five points on the board from another hard-fought win — that is how you build momentum in this league.
