On Monday night (10.03), Fla came very close to a place in the quarterfinals of the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB). The isolated leader of the championship beat Limeira, 81 to 71, at Tijuca Tênis Clube, in a balanced game. Marquinhos was the top scorer for Mais Querido, with 16 points, as well as the top waiter, with four assists; with eight rebounds, Meyisse was the best in this aspect. 

The first two points of the game came from a dunk by Meyinsse. The first quarter was evenly matched. For Flamengo, Marcelinho led with eleven points. Matheus Dalla and David Jackson were the opponent's top scorers. Flamengo managed to close the period ahead, but with a small lead over Limeira: 28-21. Flamengo extended its lead in the second quarter and went into halftime with a 38-29 lead.

Nico returned to the court in perfect form and hit two consecutive three-pointers. It was in the third quarter that Flamengo opened up its biggest lead of the match so far: 18 points. The team led by 11 points into the final period, with a three-pointer from Marquinhos to close out the quarter. The game remained tight. With three minutes remaining, Marcelinho hit a three-pointer, forcing Limeira to call a timeout. Along with point guard and leading scorer Marquinhos, Felício made the difference for Flamengo, coming into the match very well. The young center racked up 11 points and four rebounds. American Meyinsse also made a difference, giving Limeira a hard time and drawing numerous fouls from the opponent. Flamengo finished the game with another victory and a spot in the quarterfinals secured.

"I think the team performed well, we were able to neutralize their strong point, which was the three-point shot. We also managed to mark David Jackson and Ramon, their main players, well, and we managed to open up a lead during the game, which consequently helped us in the end," said Marquinhos, the red-and-black's top scorer in the match.