"Attack wins games. Defense wins championships." It's with this spirit that Flamengo has been taking to the court in the 2009-2010 New Basketball Brazil season. This Sunday (March 21.03st) will be no different. The red-and-blacks face Palmeiras/Araraquara at HSBC Arena at 11 a.m., seeking their eleventh consecutive victory in the competition, and they have a defensive system as their main weapon to achieve this goal.

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Last Friday (19.03), the Gávea team beat Franca 78-70, in a very balanced and exciting game at the Arena. Even with the offensive performance a little below expectations, the defense made the difference and was considered by coach Paulo Chupeta the main factor for the victory.

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"The attack wasn't very good, but the defense was strong and was the basis for the victory. The team, once again, excelled. We knew it would be a tough game, and we managed to get this victory, which was very important," he analyzed.

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Marcelinho Machado, the team's top scorer in that match with 26 points and the NBB's top scorer with 577 (averaging 27.48 points per game), is banking on the strength of the red-and-black squad in the fight for a third national championship. The team has been battling injuries and significant physical strain, but even so, they haven't stopped winning. They've now won ten consecutive matches.

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"Since that game where I scored 63 points, I've warned that it was an unusual day and that it wouldn't happen every time. I know how important I am to the team, but the entire group is responsible for the good results. We're all aware that a performance like that doesn't happen every time," observed the red-and-black captain.

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Halftime Show - The theory is Funk Soul Samba Jazz. The practice is sweaty bodies, a repertoire that magnetizes and makes you dance, engaging and captivating all listeners with the certainty that they won't be able to stay still. This is Sandrinho Black, lead singer of Bloco Show Empolga às 9. He's been performing at Rio's traditional Carnival for seven years, also performing at nightclubs in Rio and abroad. He's the halftime show host for the match against Araraquara at the Arena, singing the best of Brazilian music.

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Promotion - Flamengo fans who go to Flamengo games at the HSBC Arena can compete for an official basketball shirt in a promotion held at LNB Territory, the official blog of the National Basketball League. Send a photo of yourself at HSBC Arena at one of these two games, or even a scan of your ticket, to the email territoryolnb@gmail.com and answer: What's it like to experience the excitement of an NBB classic as a Flamengo fan? You can submit as many answers as you like, but only those with a photo or ticket scan are valid.