On a bad night, Flamengo loses to Pinheiros at home in the NBB
Team suffers first defeat of the year, in official matches
By Flamengo Communication - inThere are days when the ball just doesn't drop. This Thursday, that happened at Arena Carioca 1, when FlaBasquete ended up losing to Esporte Clube Pinheiros 61-74, losing their unbeaten streak in the 2018-2019 NBB and also suffering their first official loss of the year.
It was a completely atypical match. The scoring was very low, which is unusual for the team. The team never reached 20 points in a single quarter. Flamengo's top scorer was Argentine Franco Balbi, with 18 points, followed by Mineiro and Nesbitt, both with 10. Flamengo now focuses on Saturday's game, also in Rio, against Corinthians, at 14 pm.
The game
The match started evenly, relying on a comeback. Pinheiros scored the first two points on a layup, and Nesbitt responded. The São Paulo team scored a three-pointer, and Marquinhos equalized. Center Isaac added two more, and Mineiro equalized again. The tie ended with Flamengo stuck at 11, while Pinheiros reached 16. Nesbitt, with 2:46 remaining, reduced the deficit with another three-pointer, leaving the deficit at two points. And those were the last points of the half, which ended with Pinheiros ahead by five (19-14).
The second quarter saw a more calibrated hand. Davi opened with a three-pointer, and Olivinha soon followed with a shot from outside the perimeter, putting Flamengo ahead for the first time (20-19). The number 16 fired up the game with his drive and enthusiasm, but the score remained tight, with the teams alternating the lead. But it was Pinheiros who finished the first half with the advantage, 36-33, and the promise of a great game for the final 20 minutes.
The second half didn't go well. Flamengo took too long to score and found themselves behind throughout the half. Even the free throws weren't going in, and the score was far below what the team could have achieved. The entire team took the court, but only nine points were scored, and the visitors were 10 points ahead at the end of the half. Everything was left to the final quarter.
The game remained difficult for the Mais Querido, and the ball continued to refuse to fall. It took more than five minutes for the team, through Franco Balbi, to score six consecutive points and close the gap to seven (51-58). However, Pinheiros responded from distance with good three-point shots and maintained the lead. In the end, with the match already decided, the São Paulo team simply managed the victory, and Flamengo suffered its first setback of the competition.
The basketball teams of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo receive funding from their sponsors – thinkseg, AmBev, Rede D'or, IRB Brasil RE, CSN, Brasil Plural, and EY – via the Federal Incentive Law/Ministry of Sports (IR) and the State Incentive Law/Rio de Janeiro State Secretariat of Sports, Recreation, and Youth (Seelje), in addition to support from the Brazilian Club Committee (CBC) resulting from the decentralization of resources generated by the Pelé Law. The Anjo da Guarda Rubro-Negro Project, a personal tax transfer, benefits all Olympic sports of the Most Beloved.