In May 2014, Flamengo took to the court at the HSBC Arena to compete against Paulistano for what would be their third NBB title. And this Saturday, the teams met again at the Tijuca Tennis Club gymnasium for another game in the qualifying phase of the ninth edition of the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB). While the trophy wasn't at stake this afternoon, other attractions added a special flavor to the match: the maintenance of the league leader's undefeated record and Marcelinho's approach to 10 points in the Sacred Mantle (Flamengo's jersey). At the final buzzer, both objectives had been achieved: the captain reached the historic mark – and received a commemorative plaque and jersey – and the Pride of the Nation relied on a double-double from Olivinha (10 points and 14 rebounds) to defeat the opponent 81-72.

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José Neto's team dominated the game from start to finish, and even with Paulistano's attempts with three-pointers in the second half, they managed to maintain the huge advantage they had accumulated during the first 20 minutes.

Besides Marcelinho and Olivinha, Marquinhos was also fundamental to FlaBasquete's sixth consecutive victory in six games in this NBB season, being the team's top scorer with 19 points, in addition to grabbing seven rebounds. The three athletes prove the value of experience: they are great pillars of Neto's team year after year, having been standouts in all seasons of the club's four consecutive championships in the tournament.

After being one of the standout players in the previous round against Liga Sorocabana, JP Batista came close to a double-double, also with seven rebounds and 13 points. Meanwhile, point guard Ricardo Fischer, with six assists, is showing game after game that he is 100% recovered.

Captain's record
The greatest idol in the history of FlaBasquete, Marcelinho Machado, surpassed 10 points in his career defending the Sacred Mantle in official games – including friendlies – in the victory over Paulistano. "I'm very happy to be able to reach this milestone. It symbolizes my entire journey at Flamengo, and scoring is my main characteristic. It's great to be able to use my offensive skills to help the team win and gain many titles," declared the number 4, who has six national titles with Flamengo – including five NBBs – one South American Championship, one Liga das Américas, one Club World Championship, and nine Carioca Championships. 

Decisive classic match in sight.
FlaBasquete's next game will be the Carioca Championship final, this Tuesday (6), in the classic against Vasco. Tickets are on sale, exclusively for Flamengo fans, through the Guichê Web website. Click here to buy yours!