FlaBasquete won another NBB match! Playing away from home, at the Antônio Prado Jr. gym, Orgulho da Nação made the most of its squad and defeated Paulistano 77-72, on Tuesday night (5), in a duel decided in the final seconds. Once again, just like against Franca, Gabriel Jaú was the star of the match with 16 points scored.

Highlights
Gabriel Jaú – 16 points;
Didi – 14 points;
Gui Deodato – 11 points;
Scott Machado – 10 points.

1st Bedroom
The Pride of the Nation's first two points came from Maique, who was assisted by Filipovity. Balbi intercepted a ball in the backcourt and passed it to Maique. The ball hit the rim, and Gabriel Jaú finished. Meanwhile, Paulistano also capitalized on their offensive opportunities and scored, keeping the game well-balanced. Mengão took the lead with a free throw from Balbi. The Argentine, in turn, led a counterattack and delivered a beautiful pass to Maique, who scored two more. Didi, from the dead zone, converted for three, giving Rubro-Negro a 23-19 lead in the fourth quarter.

2st Bedroom
Gui Deodato returned in the second quarter, stealing the ball and scoring two more points on a layup. Scott Machado delivered a beautiful alley-oop pass to Gui Deodato, who dunked. With seven minutes remaining, the Pride of the Nation opened up an 11-point lead, their largest lead of the game so far. Late in the period, Paulistano fought back and closed the gap. But Scott Machado and Cuello hit two three-pointers that thwarted any further reaction from the home team. As the clock expired, Gui Deodato converted another three-pointer. With that, FlaBasquete went into halftime leading by nine points: 45-36.

3st Bedroom
In the third quarter, Scott Machado broke into the paint and scored two more for Mengão. The red-and-black defense worked well and hampered Paulistano's attacking efforts. The defense excelled in the fourth quarter, resulting in low scoring. Cuello received an open ball in the dead zone and converted a three-pointer. By the end of the quarter, Paulistano managed to close the gap a bit, but the team from Gávea remained in the lead: 63-58.

4st Bedroom
In the final quarter, the teams went scoreless for the first two minutes thanks to strong defensive play from both sides. Scott Machado stepped up and scored two more on a layup. With just over six minutes remaining, Paulistano tied the game. With two converted free throws, Jaú put the Red-Blacks back in front. Scott Machado, in a decisive moment, shot from the perimeter, and the ball fell. With less than a minute remaining, Didi dunked and dunked two more, increasing the lead to eight points. Paulistano still managed to narrow the deficit to three points, but Didi was once again decisive, hitting a late shot that gave the Pride of the Nation the victory: 77-72.

Next appointment
The Pride of the Nation returns to the court next Thursday (7), to face São Paulo, at 18 pm, at the Antônio Prado Jr. gym, in another round of the NBB qualifying phase.

Starting Quintet
Franco Balbi, Loku Cuello, Gabriel Jaú, Marko Filipovity and Maique.
Coach: Gustavo De Conti.