The NBB is unstoppable and is entering its final stretch. Flamengo has just six games left to complete the first phase, before the playoffs. Of those six, four will be away, three in São Paulo, and one at Arena Carioca, but with Botafogo (without the red-and-black fans) at the helm. And next week promises to be a... road trip across the state on the other side of Dutra, with three very different games. 

The trip begins this Tuesday against Liga Sorocabana at 19 p.m., with Sportv broadcasting live from the Gualberto Moreira Gymnasium. On Thursday, the derby against Pinheiros in the capital will be broadcast live on the League's Facebook page. The tour concludes against Mogi on Saturday at Hugo Ramos Stadium, broadcast live on TV Bandeirantes. 

For Flamengo, a win is enough to secure early playoff qualification. But no one on the team thinks that way, and the focus is entirely on achieving the best possible performance. Coach José Neto maintained his "game-by-game" approach and analyzed the upcoming opponents he will face in São Paulo. 

"We have some very tough opponents ahead of us. Liga Sorocabana played a tough game against Franca in Franca, we know that and need to play hard against them. Next up is Pinheiros, who now have their players back, which makes the team very strong. And finally, there's Mogi, who are fighting for the same goals as us in the championship. But the next game is always the most important, which is Sorocaba, and we need to play intensely from start to finish to avoid any more surprises," commented Neto after Saturday's 96-84 victory over Minas TC.

The final match began with some changes to the starting lineup. David Cubillán and Anderson Varejão didn't start, making way for Arthur Pecos and JP Batista. No problem, just something planned after the two returned from their commitments with the Brazilian and Venezuelan national teams, where they had a heavy workload. For Neto, the red-and-black squad is strong and prepared for these situations. 

"I really believe in the strength of our squad. We have variation with the players coming off the bench. We need them to seal the victory. Even those who played less against Minas—João, Pilar, Mogi—they played little, but they are very important for us to have a strong squad, and we rely heavily on this rotation in every game."  

In the first round, Flamengo defeated all of its current opponents. All three games were played at Arena Carioca and in a different order than next week. The match against Liga Sorocabana was on January 11th, and Marquinhos was the standout performer. The number 11 scored 27 points in 28 minutes on the court, shooting 71% on two-pointers. Ronald Ramon also excelled on the day, with 20 points and a perfect 10-for-10 free throw shooting percentage, playing a key role in the 82-67 victory. 

The match against Pinheiros was, as expected, electrifying. JP Batista, Marquinhos, and Olivinha combined for 45 points, and the collective effort was crucial to the narrow 72-68 victory that secured second place in the competition. The two teams were directly competing for the position. 

The third match of the week will be against Mogi, always a title favorite—like Flamengo—and promises to be another breathtaking match. In the first half, the teams were battling for the top spot in the standings. Mogi was the leader, and Flamengo was close behind. Arena Carioca welcomed over two thousand people to see the trio of JP Batista, Ramon, and Marquinhos score over 20 points each (61 in total) and turn the tide. The final score of 77-71 marked a new lead in the NBB at the time. 

After the tour of São Paulo, Flamengo returns to play in Rio on 12/03 (Monday), against Botafogo, at Arena Carioca 1, but with the opponent playing at home.