Felix Perez Cardozo beat Capiata Bulls 88 to 76 in the Paraguayan LNB on Thursday night. The host side took control early and never let the visitors back into it, despite a spirited second-half effort. It was a result that kept their fourth-place standing intact while extending the away team's winless run to five games.
Cardozo started strong, hitting outside shots in quick succession and forcing turnovers that led to easy baskets. Capiata tried to stay in the game by attacking the paint, but the home defence held firm. By then the gap had grown to double digits, and the visitors began to look fatigued. The hosts were playing with confidence they hadn't shown in their recent defeats.
We had tipped the home side to prevail, and the game unfolded much as we expected. Cardozo's shooting accuracy from range proved decisive, and their ball movement created cleaner looks than Capiata could match. To be fair, the away team didn't make things easy with their defensive pressure, but they couldn't sustain it over four quarters.
The statistics tell the story clearly enough. Cardozo recorded 45 rebounds to 32, with 16 successful three-pointers against eight for the visitors. They also managed 23 assists to 14, though they coughed up 18 turnovers compared to 14. Capiata's 13 steals were notable, but they couldn't convert those opportunities into enough points.
The home side's recent form had been worrying — losses to Deportivo San Jose and Olimpia Kings Kings among them — but this performance suggested a shift. They've now won three of their last five matches, including a close one against Deportivo Campo Alto. The away team, meanwhile, has struggled consistently, conceding over 100 points on three occasions this month.
Cardozo remain fourth with 14 games played, eight wins and six defeats. The two-point margin in the table is tight, and every game matters when positions are this close. Capiata's position isn't supplied in the data, but their form suggests they're fighting to avoid the lower reaches of the standings.