FlaBasquete defeats Minas and has a chance in the South American Championship again
The team needs to beat Bauru and hope that Minas defeats Instituto
By Flamengo Communication - inVictory! In the second game of the semifinal stage of the South American League, Flamengo defeated Minas Tênis Clube 91-76 and returned to the fight for a spot in the competition's final. The match kicked off the round at Jeunesse Arena, which also saw Instituto de Córdoba defeat Bauru, eliminating the São Paulo team and leaving the Argentines in a strong position. Flamengo has only one option left: Beat Bauru (well) and hope Minas defeats the Argentine team (by the highest possible score).
As in the first game, Marquinhos was again the team's and the game's top scorer with 23 points. Anderson Varejão had 17, Deryk had 15, Jhonatan, and Balbi also topped the 10-point mark. While he didn't score enough, Nesbitt was a monster in the paint, grabbing 10 rebounds. For Minas Gerais, American Coleman was the standout performer with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
It was a back-and-forth game. Flamengo and Minas alternated on the scoreboard at various points, giving the impression of a decided match for both sides, but with constant changes. Coleman was the man of the match, scoring from all corners and leaving Flamengo's defense in a difficult position. The final six-point margin (20-14) showed that the match would truly be back-and-forth and, above all, tense.
The second quarter was a slog. A red-and-black truck with no brakes came onto the court and scored 15 points to Brazil's one. They took the lead and held it until closing the first quarter with a three-point lead, 37-34.
The Minas Gerais team came back stronger after the break. With Coleman back on the scoreboard, Minas took the lead and held the lead for five minutes until Balbi equalized. Jhonatan added another three-pointer, and Varejão extended the lead, holding it to six points with 10 minutes remaining.
The final quarter was the most exciting of the game. But Flamengo was much more confident and assured on the court, maintaining the lead even when Minas had practically given up hope. That's when Gustavo De Conti's team dominated the match and secured a 91-76 victory, renewing their hopes of qualifying.
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.