Flamengo, the unbeaten leader of the 2009 Rio State Championship with 12 points (6-0), returns to the court this Thursday night to face América / Três Rios, at the Municipal Gymnasium of Juiz de Fora (MG), starting at 20 pm, in the penultimate round of the championship's classification phase. The Rubro-Negro, owner of the best record (6 wins and no losses) and with a spot in the semifinals already guaranteed, faces an opponent that has not yet won in the tournament and already has no chance of advancing to the next phase.

Next Sunday, the 15th, the Gávea team, current two-time Brazilian champion (NBB 2009 and Brazilian Championship 2008), champion of the South American League 2009 and four-time Rio State champion, will go to Joinville (SC) to face the home team in a match of the third round of the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB) 2009/2010. Before that, however, Flamengo continues its fight for its fifth consecutive title in the Campeonato Carioca.

"We're going to go out on the court to fight for another victory and continue this excellent campaign," said point guard Duda, who returns to the team after serving a suspension against Saldanha da Gama in the NBB.

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Embezzlement Flamengo will be without its leading scorer in Thursday's match. Suffering from post-traumatic tendonitis in his left hand after falling on his body during a play against Saldanha, he will be rested from the State Championship match and will return to the court on Sunday against Joinville. "I'm not even considering the possibility of not playing on Sunday. The team is already missing two players, so I want to go no matter what. I'll continue with the treatment and everything will be fine," said Marcelinho.

Contracts - Flamengo's basketball supervisor, André Guimarães, confirmed that the red-black team's contracts have already been sent to the club's legal department and, therefore, the situation of the entire group should be regularized by next Friday.