Playing his 100th game with the Manto Sagrado for Novo Basquete Brasil, JP Batista had a good performance against Botafogo, in the 90-84 victory, on Monday night (12), and finished the match with nine points, 12 rebounds and five assists. After the match, the pivot spoke to the press about the result.
"We have to give credit to Botafogo. The most naive thing we can do is go into a match like this thinking it will be easy. José Neto emphasized that they were on a good winning streak. They didn't have Jamaal in that first-round match (which ended in a 53-point victory). In this one, with him and Tatum, Botafogo was free. The important thing is that we came away with the win, but we have a lot to improve, especially mentally," said JP.
"We need to work continuously and daily on this mental aspect. If you arrive at a game without focus, it messes everything up. The group is in a good moment, but it's better for this to happen now and not in the playoffs. We're working to improve defensively, offensively, and psychologically," he added.
Now Rubro-Negro returns to the court on March 25, Sunday, at 11 am, to face Basquete Cearense at Arena Carioca 1.
The basketball teams of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo receive funding from their sponsors – thinkseg, Estácio, 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 from the Pelé Law. The Anjo da Guarda Rubro-Negro Project, a personal tax transfer, benefits all Olympic sports of the Most Beloved.