Flamengo started its participation in the NBB Opening Tournament on the right foot. On Monday night (29), Rubro-Negro beat Fortaleza 87 to 71, at Arena BRB Nilson Nelson, in Brasília, and secured its first victory in the pre-season competition.

Point guard Alex Negrete led the team with 18 points. Alexey Borges, always him, also had a strong performance, scoring 16 points and dishing out 7 assists. Another standout was power forward Kayo Gonçalves, who contributed 12 points and 4 rebounds.

After the match, Kayo took the opportunity to emphasize the importance of the series of matches for the squad's chemistry. "This tournament will be very important for us to get some practice and get more experience with the game. For us (Flamengo), it's extremely important coming off the World Cup, which was a different kind of preparation. We'll use these matches to get to know each other better on the court and build the chemistry that will lead to better results when the season starts," he stated.

The Pride of the Nation's next match takes place this Tuesday (30), at 17:30 pm, against Pato Basquete, again at Arena BRB Nilson Nelson. Just like the debut, entry will be free and the broadcast will be provided by Metrópoles, on YouTube.