Before the soccer ball rolled for the first final of the Campeonato Carioca, the orange ball went up for another duel between Flamengo and a Tricolor team. Near Maracanã Stadium, at the Tijuca Tênis Clube gymnasium, the Gávea basketball team defeated São Paulo 79-70 in the final stretch of the qualifying round of the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB).

With this result, Orgulho da Nação secured second place in the standings. The team was already qualified to advance directly to the quarterfinals via the competition's playoffs, skipping the round of 16.

Stay tuned and don't miss the next Pride of the Nation home games! On Wednesday, FlaBasquete returns to Tijuca to face Paulistano. Secure your seat at flamengo.superingresso.com.br and be our Sixth Player!

Highlights

Points – Olivinha (14), Deodato (12), Jaú (11)

Rebounds – Jaú (8), Olivinha (8), Cuello (6)

Assists – Cuello (4), Fischer (4), Aguirre (3)

The game

São Paulo took the first steps of the match, taking a 5-0 lead, but a Gabriel Jaú three-pointer put Flamengo in the game. Fischer and Jaú soon tied the score at 7-7 near the halfway point of the first period. Flamengo took the lead for the first time (14-13) after a series of offensive rebounds that ended with a layup by captain Olivinha, but their opponents regained the lead and finished the first quarter with a 20-17 lead.

The second quarter began with São Paulo opening a larger lead, but the Red-Blacks remained firmly in their opponent's pursuit. In the final minutes of the quarter, the team from Gávea grew into the game and closed the gap with a three-point play – basket and foul – by Olivinha (31-34). By this point, each team had accumulated 14 points in the quarter. In a play crafted with beautiful rebounds and a lot of spirit, just as the Nation loves, Olivinha was once again responsible for restoring the lead to Mais Querido (35-34), exactly one possession before halftime. The team extended their lead and closed the first half leading 37-34, in a great comeback.

Flamengo further extended its lead over the Tricolor in the third quarter, opening up an 11-2 lead in less than three minutes. A beautiful perimeter basket by Gui Deodato ignited the nation in the stands, making the score 51-39 for the Red-Blacks five minutes into the final period. Gustavo De Conti's team ended the penultimate quarter with another beautiful three-pointer converted by Deodato, securing a 60-46 lead.

In addition to holding off the opposing team's momentum, Flamengo also had a strong collective attack – six players reached double digits in scoring: Olivinha, Deodato, Jaú, Hettsheimeir, Cuello, and Fischer. São Paulo staged a comeback and even won the final set (19-24), but the Mais Querido made the most of their advantage and closed the score at 79-70.

Starting Quintet

Ricardo Fischer, Penka Aguirre, Loku Cuello, Gabriel Jaú and Rafael Mineiro.

Coach: Gustavo De Conti

Next appointment

Mengão remains in Rio de Janeiro for the next NBB match. On Wednesday (5), at 20 pm, FlaBasquete hosts Paulistano at Tijuca Tênis Clube. The duel will be broadcast on FlaTV.