FlaBasquete beat Botafogo 88-61, at Nilson Nelson, in Brasília, and closed the first phase of the NBB Opening Tournament with two wins in two games - and consequently - with the classification for the final phase of the competition with the first place in Group A. Now, the Pride of the Nation awaits the results of next Tuesday (1), to know its opponent in the semifinals of the tournament (Minas or Vasco), which will be held on Thursday, at 17:30 pm. 

The Mais Querido dominated the match from start to finish, with great performances from the three reinforcements Shaq Johnson, Lucas Siewert and Jordan William, with 15, 14 and 10 points, respectively. Last Sunday, FlaBasquete beat Brasília 91-76, also at Nilson Nelson, with a highlight for Gui Deodato, who led the team in points (19) and efficiency. 

The game

Starting quintet: Alexey, Shaq Johnson, Jhonatan Luz, Kayo Gonçalves and Taya Gallizzi

Flamengo started the match strongly, showcasing its offensive prowess from the perimeter with Alexey and Jhonatan Luz. Throughout the first quarter, Flamengo controlled the match. At the end of the first quarter, they led Mais Querido by 9 points: 24 to 15.

The Red-Blacks started the second quarter as they had ended the first: flowing offensively. Lucas Siewert and Shaq Johnson contributed with good shots—Taya Gallizzi, in turn, nailed a beautiful dunk that forced a timeout for Botafogo. Next, Alexey found Siewert with a beautiful pass, and the power forward showed his talent on the layup: 10 points in the second quarter. There was still time for Shaq Johnson to sink two consecutive three-pointers for Mengão to open up a 17-point lead. Jordan Williams' three-pointer sealed the score: the game went into halftime with a 45-27 partial win for Mengão. 

"It's our rhythm of play, which we implement every day in training. For Flamengo, we have to give our all in every game, especially in a derby," commented Lucas Siewert after a great performance in the first half.

Jordan Williams put his entire shooting arsenal on display and was the star of the third quarter. Luan Rodrigues, Lucas Siewert, and Jhonatan Luz also helped FlaBasquete extend their already large lead to 68-43 at the end of the third quarter.

Shaq Johnson opened the proceedings in the fourth quarter, taking the lead as the game's leading scorer. But it was the Crias who stood out in the final period! Luan Rodrigues, Ítalo Honorato, and Matheus Gueiros saw court time and showed great quality, all contributing baskets. FlaBasquete maintained the momentum until the end and closed out the game with an undisputed victory: 88-61.

Franco Balbi, the team captain, spoke about not letting the ball drop even with the advantage.

"That has to be our spirit, no matter the score. We have to give everything on the court, show in every game that determination to become much better than we already are," concluded the point guard.