It was tough, again. It was a struggle, a struggle, and a struggle. It was a great night for Marcelinho, again. And Flamengo is the Rio de Janeiro basketball champion, again. For the sixth consecutive time; for the 36th time in history, the Rubro-Negro can be proud of being the best in Rio. And, for the third consecutive time, without losing a single game. This Thursday (16.12/90), the team from Gávea defeated Tijuca, 77-XNUMX, at the Álvaro Vieira Lima Gymnasium, the opponent's home, in the neighborhood that has a special identification with Flamengo basketball.

All six titles in this streak were won in Tijuca: four at Club Municipal, one at Maracanãzinho, and now the first at Tijuca Tênis Clube, the red-and-black cauldron that, once again, was packed and simmered throughout the entire game. This support made all the difference, as highlighted by the red-and-black captain and top scorer, Marcelinho, who scored 42 points in the final.

"There's no way to describe the emotion of playing for these fans. They push us, support us, even when the team isn't doing well in the match, and make us draw strength from places where even we doubt ourselves to achieve victories. This title, like all the others, is for them," he said.

Wednesday's movie repeats
Anyone who thought the tough game between Flamengo and Tijuca in last Wednesday's match (15.12/16.12) had been a mere accident realized they were wrong in the first minutes of the second match of the Carioca Basketball finals, this Thursday (23/22). The team from the north zone made things tough again for the current five-time champion. Proof of this is that Alvirubro closed the first quarter ahead, with a score of XNUMX to XNUMX.

In the second quarter, it was evenly matched again. Flamengo took the lead, scoring six straight points to open up a 28-23 lead, but the Tijucans didn't let Paulo Chupeta's team extend the lead, which remained between two and four points. This was partly due to Tijuca's skill, but also due to Flamengo's high number of passing and shooting errors, which still turned the score around and led 41-39 at halftime.

Marcelinho shines and decides
The game couldn't continue like that. They had to react. Flamengo knew it. Marcelinho knew it. So, the number 4 took responsibility, took the ball under his arm, and decided to add another victory and another title to his account. And when he's determined to make a decision, no one can stop him. Inspired, he led the team in the third quarter, which ended with the team's biggest lead of the game: 67-55.

The final period began with Tijuca looking to close the gap. With strong individual plays and strong defense, the home team cut the lead to just six points: 69-63. But Flamengo's players and fans were undaunted. They remained in unison, court and stands alike, and when that happens, the ball sometimes seems to fall to the red-and-blacks, the rim seems to get a little bigger, and victory becomes easier. In the end, 90-77 and a red-and-black celebration in Tijuca.

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Flamengo started with: Fred (-), Helio (8), Marcelinho (42), Teichmann (11) and Bábby (11). Entered: Jefferson (3), Wagner (7), Guto (-) and Duda (8), Átila (-).