Happy night in advance for FlaBasquete! Playing away from home, Orgulho da Nação took off in the third quarter, opened up a 20-point lead and beat Paulistano 89-75 this Monday (23), at the Antônio Prado Jr gym, in the last round of the first round of the NBB. Point guard Alexey was the highlight of the match, reaching a double-double with 21 points and 11 assists.

Highlights
Alexey – 21 points and 11 assists;
Shaq Johnson – 17 points;
Jordan Williams – 14 points;
Taya Gallizzi – 12 points.


1st Bedroom
In a strong collective play by Orgulho da Nação, Taya Gallizzi scored the game's first points. The teams were evenly matched in the opening minutes, trading points. With just over four minutes remaining in the quarter, Paulistano took the lead. Mengão, in turn, responded quickly and regained the advantage. In the final seconds, the red-and-black team opened up a 12-point lead and closed the quarter at 30-18.  


2st Bedroom
With a strong performance, Taya Gallizi was the star of the red-and-black team with 10 points. "Mais Querido" (The Most Beloved) defended well and made it difficult for Paulistano to shoot, which sometimes exceeded the 24-second time limit. In the second half of the quarter, the São Paulo team closed the gap to five points. Alexey found Kayo Gonçalves alone in the dead zone, and he hit a three-pointer. With seconds remaining in the quarter, Paulistano closed the gap again. On the court, Balbi provided a beautiful assist for Shaq Johnson to dunk two points. "The Pride of the Nation" went into halftime leading 48-45.


3st Bedroom
After halftime, Shaq Johnson made a great individual play and scored two more points on a layup. It's worth noting that the Pride of the Nation scored points on individual plays, particularly point guard Alexey, who excelled in driving into the paint. In a good play, Jordan Williams stepped back and hit a three-pointer. In the final minutes, Mengão remained consistent on offense, opening a good lead, and closing the period with a 75-55 lead.


4st Bedroom
Early in the fourth quarter, Balbi found Williams open to hit another three-pointer. With two precise attacks, Paulistano closed out the six-point deficit. Alexey left Gallizzi in the clear to score two more points from under the board. After coach Gustavinho called a timeout, the red-and-black team regained control of the match and managed the advantage they had gained throughout the four quarters, closing out the match with an 89-75 victory.

With 14 victories in the New Basketball Brazil (NBB), the Pride of the Nation guaranteed qualification for the Super 8 Cup, which will be played in early 2025 with the participation of the eight best teams classified in the first round of the national competition.



Next challenge
The Pride of the Nation returns to the court next Friday (27) to face São José, at 20 pm, at Maracanãzinho, for the NBB.


Starting Quintet
Alexey, Shaq Johnson, Jhonatan Luz, Kayo Gonçalves and Taya Gallizzi.
Coach: Gustavo De Conti.