Having performed best in the qualifying rounds, the Mais Querido (Most Beloved) team earned the right to host the Basketball Development League (LDB) playoffs. The quest for the title, at the Hélio Maurício gymnasium, began this Thursday (26.12/22). The under-74 basketball team defeated Pinheiros 70-20 at the Gávea social headquarters. The fans, who were in good numbers and chanting nonstop, were joined by players Shilton and Marquinhos, as well as VP of Olympic Sports Alexandre Póvoa. They watched Cristiano Felício and Gegê be the game's standout performers: the center had a double-double and led the scorer with 13 points and XNUMX rebounds, and the point guard led the way in assists with eight.

The starting five that entered the court was made up of Gegê, Chupeta, Diego Marques, Cristiano Felício and Douglas Corrêa – all with experience on the Adult team in the New Basketball Brazil (NBB).

Felício, who opened the scoring, collected eight rebounds in the first quarter alone and was the team's standout performer. The score ended 13-14, favoring Pinheiros. In the second quarter, Felício maintained his strong performance, reaching a double-double before the halfway point with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The second-highest point scorer was point guard Gegê, with eight. Both teams made a lot of mistakes on the court, and Fla went into the locker room with a small lead, which reflected the tightness of the game: 32-30.

After halftime, Alef came on as a starter and performed well, with speed and steals. Douglas and Chupeta rebounded well: seven and six, respectively. In addition to the rebounds, Chupeta and Felício also thrilled the stands with dunks. The quarter ended 16-15 for Flamengo. In the final quarter, Pinheiros attempted a comeback, but Flamengo, led by Gegê, Felício, and Chupeta, fought back and maintained the lead, closing the game at 74-70. Coach Paulo Chupeta praised his players' response.

"The change in approach was crucial to the victory. We started with defensive lapses, and from the second to the third quarter, we managed to change. The idea was to press from the beginning, but we let them play. We changed at the end, but even so, we still committed a lot of fouls. We also felt Diego's absence. He is sorely missed by the team," he declared.